Gems of a True Dragon
by Fragariaphobia
Summary: As war rages on throughout the kingdoms, Spyro loses the things that truly make him a dragon. With the help of mysterious creatures from all around, can he really regain who he is?
1. Chapter 1

The sun was setting on the horizon and the beauty was incredible. The clear water reflected everything there was to see. The clouds were brilliant shades of pink and orange as the crickets chirped to their heart's content.

"Spyro! We're under attack, wake up!" a dragon elder shouted. Spyro sat up in fear. That dream was the last clear memory of peace he had. Shortly before he was born, the dragon realms and Avalar had gone into an all out war. Apparently the dragons had captured land and long, long ago and were ruling over Avalar. The citizens had decided to band together and break free. So far, they were doing a pretty good job and pushing them back into their old territory, a harsh, barren wasteland. Spyro quickly searched around the small hut he was in to find anything he could salvage. Nothing of particular importance, so he felt everything should stay,

"Sparx! Hey buddy! We need to go, now!" He said with a raised whisper. His glowing little dragonfly friend flew down from the tiny bed atop a shelf.

"What's goin' on?" he asked in a daze.

"One of the elders told me that Avalar's forces are here and we need to leave." His face was covered with sweat. Even from a few feet away, Sparx could hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

"For real this time? Dude, that is _messed up_!" Sparx said, looking out of the window. His wings fluttered faster than ever as he scanned the area.

"Get away from there!" Spyro snapped, "You could get spotted, then we're toast. We need to-"

"Alright, alright, I know what you're about to say. _We need to keep quiet and warn the others so we can all escape to the other magical happy dragon realms where we'll be safe._" He said in a mocking tone.

"Took the words right out of my mouth. I can hear the soldiers' footsteps. C'mon! It's only a matter of time now." Spyro ran out the door of his small, secure hut. Elders ran by holding the hands of smaller dragons, some clutching eggs close to their bodies. The ruler of the rebelling Avalar, Ripto, was executing all dragons he could get his hands on for "Ruling the people of Avalar with an iron fist". Some dragons of great power were taken away directly to him, but no one was sure why. The reason for that was that no one ever came back to tell their story. The dragon villages containing dragons of great power had always had footmen ready surrounding the North and East plains, the South Forest, and several keeping watch over the mountains, which were the most direct route from Avalar to Spyro's portion of the realms. Being born a purple dragon, which was said to have great powers, he had been shifted to three different villages in his youth to keep him safe. It was always difficult to learn new friends, and even more difficult for news to spread that his friends from the old village were dead. His one true friend who stuck with him from the beginning was Sparx. Every dragon that had a dragonfly companion had to stick with them until the end. When Sparx was only a few years of age and decided to go with Spyro in danger of being caught and killed, he had no idea that his whole friendship was locked into that very moment. Spyro thought he heard a faint snoring noise, so he ran into a nearby hut.

"Hey, wake up, we're under atta-" he was interrupted by a being hit in the head with an amulet.

"Spyro, you creep! What are you doing in our room so late at night? Disgusting!" a pink dragon by the name of Ember shouted. She continued shrieking and throwing things as Spyro made silent gestures to calm her down. The outburst awoke another female dragon who was black and red, named Cynder.

"What in the world?" she murmured softly as she rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.

"Tell this little pervert to get outta' here or else you'll flame him into the next universe!" Ember screamed while she kicked him against the wall, for she had run out of things to throw at him.

"Ow! Stop it, Ember! Cynder, help! We're being attacked and we need to flee! Ah- knock it _ow_, off! You need to grab anything that might be useful and leave!" Spyro said in pain. Ember certainly kicked hard.

"Nice try, purple boy! It'll take me a while to forgive you for this one! I swear, you seemed so sweet when I first met yo-" she was interrupted by Cynder.

"Wait, what do you say? We're being attacked?" she said in fear.

"Yes," Spyro said, pushing Ember down on the floor. "An elder warned me. I heard the marching of soldiers coming from the market street." Sparx flew in the open window.

"That's it. We need barbed wire and electric fence surrounding this place." Ember said as she got off the floor.

"Bad news, they just captured the market and are advancing in our direction. Will you three ladies hurry it up?" he said, gesturing towards the door. Spyro picked up Ember's amulet and passed it to her. She immediately forgot the whole ordeal and took it back with a smile.

"Aww, how kind of you Spyro. You _would_ make a good husband."

"Yeah, aren't I just _that_ great?" he responded sarcastically. The four carefully sneaked out the door. The sound of marching grew louder. Cynder shuddered and moved closer towards Spyro. She was breathing irregularly to keep quiet. "It's okay, I'll make sure you'll be okay." He said to her. Ember leaned close to him as well, hoping for the same reaction. Spyro rolled his eyes and moved away from the two, now leading the way to the South forest.

"Where are we going?" Cynder asked.

"With all luck, they won't be able to track us in the South forest. It's too dense and The Great Swamp lies in the center. After that, it's a straight shot to The Forgotten Realms. The Sorceress is currently neutral in the war. With any luck, she'll stay that way and leave us be. If not, we can head back through the Plains and-"

"Wai, whoa whoa, no no no. I hear the she and Ripto both hate dragons and are going to join forces, and destroy us all! They're looking for the youngest purple dragon in the dragon kingdom to combat it and win the war! I tell ya pal, you better go hide in a ditch somewhere, because seriously, that might be you." Sparx chimed in.

"Where'd you hear something as ridiculous as _that_?" Spyro asked, remembering to keep his voice low.

"Well, I sorta heard it from one of the elders…"

"Which one?" Spyro asked as if they had been down the road a million times.

"It was… umm… uhh… Elder Max." he said, looking down to the ground.

"Elder max! That guy is insane! He keeps talking about gems of the heart and Gnasty Gnorc having a fortress in the middle of the desert! I personally think that guy needs to spend less time in the sun, it's frying his brain!" Spyro shouted. The footsteps grew louder then came to a sudden halt. Ember began whimpering and Cynder started to silently pray. Spyro pointed in the direction of the row of huts. That had been emptied. They ran behind one and waited. After a few short minutes, the marching began to grow quieter.

"That was close." Cynder said. Her face was covered in fear.

"Don't worry. We'll all stay together. I promise that we'll all live to see the light of dawn." Spyro reassured her. "Now, let's hurry up and get to the forest." They stepped out and froze. The soldiers of fawns, fairies, and other mystical being stood in place. It was a trap; the marching that they heard at a distance was another patrol.

"Seize them!" the general shouted.

"To the forest!" Spyro screamed even though they were already running in that direction. The soldiers had advanced weaponry from all over. One got down on his knees and shot a net gun. Bullseye! Spyro, Ember, Cynder, and Sparx were all held up in the net. The general walked towards the net and inspected it carefully.

"Take the purple dragon to The Forgotten Realms, then I'll send word for Ripto to head on over. As for the others, have them locked away to rot in hell for all they have done to the people of Avalar." He said with a mischievous grin. As they were hauled away, Spyro couldn't help but look back and say _Goodbye Artisans. Goodbye forever_.


	2. Chapter 2

The soldiers dragged them behind, one glancing back occasionally to make sure they weren't trying anything. The rocks and twigs cut at their skin. Ember's wings became torn and were now seeping blood onto the trail. Spyro, being at the bottom of the net, had to deal with not only the weight of everyone on top of him, but also the rocks that kept scraping his face. As they passed through The Great Swamp after hours of forest, the ground became soft, moist, and warm. Slowly, Spyro passed out into a deep sleep.

The young purple dragon ran towards the lake in wonder and awe. One of his parents was heard in the background. _Be careful not to fall in, Spyro, you little scamp! _With a smile and a nod, he turned back to the clear water. Cattails swayed in the breeze and frogs began croaking. He waded in the shallows while little fish nibbled at the plants surrounding his feet. From a nearby tree, a dragonfly flew towards him. _I'm Sparx, who are you?_ He asked. _Sp-Spyro_. He said in amazement that something as incredible as a dragonfly could exist. _Hee. That's a funny name. I like you, wanna be friends? _Sparx asked. Spyro simply nodded. They glanced to the lake, which was like a crystal, showing the purity of the world on its glassy surface…

"Hey big guy, wake up! You gotta see this!" Sparx shouted. Spyro awoke to find himself no longer in a net, but in an individual cage, carried by more soldiers. Sparx was in a smaller one; Cynder and Ember were both in separate cages, each in a deep sleep. He began to look around in amazement. They were in the Capital of The Forgotten Realms, Midnight Mountain. There was an amazing castle, made of stone and ice. The whole thing shined in the mid-morning light. Apparently, through the night, they had traveled through the whole kingdom to the far reaches surrounded in the back by the tallest mountains known in existence. On the other side of them lie the unknown, no one has ever gone back there, and those who say they were going to try were never heard of again. Citizens came out of their houses, carved out of stone, topped and coated with layers of sparkling ice. Some parents told their children to go back inside, while others just watched. Whispers cut through the silence of the morning. The majority of them seemed excited that they were being captured, while some tried to hide the fact that they were worried.

"This is… incredible." Spyro said back to Sparx, who was waving to a group of children headed off to school.

"Man, a guy could get used to living in a place like this, eh? I mean, seriously, talk about luxury!" he said. The castle was coming into closer view, and Spyro could see there was a moat filled with water being heated just enough for it to be liquid from some type of strange device. At the bottom, Spyro could see sharp ice shards. Apparently, if the spikes didn't get you, hypothermia will. The drawbridge, made of more stone and ice, was lowered, and they entered to find themselves in an even fancier place, the castle interior. It was warm and delightful in there, with a theme of blue and gold. Banner of great size hung in the labyrinth of halls. Spyro and Sparx were overcome by amazement, and as the girls awoke, so were they. A soldier who was leading the way stopped in front of a wall. He made sure not a soul other than his three companions saw him push on a brick as he uttered words. The wall moved backwards, then off to the side. This room was a dungeon, but not just a dungeon it was a nightmare. An iron door was off to the side. A faint glow possibly from a candle was shining from underneath the bottom. _That must be where they hold the prisoners_, Spyro thought to himself. Shackles and chins were strewed about with the bones of those who had met their fate. In the center of it all, there was a table with twelve chairs. Eleven strange creatures were seated in the chairs, but at the head of the table was the Sorceress herself. Cynder, Ember, and Sparx were taken to the iron door so they would be held captive. Spyro was taken to the table and set down.

"Just perfect." The Sorceress said as she rose in amazement. "After years of war, we have what we've been looking for. The youngest purple dragon. Powerful enough to take over the realms, but too weak to defend himself." She said, picking up her staff.

"A perfect plan, eh?" one of the creatures asked. Spyro squinted at him carefully. He was taken aback to realize that it was Ripto! Some of the others were recognizable, Gnasty Gnorc, Crush, Gulp, and Grendor. They were all powerful enemies of the dragons in the war. But that didn't make sense! The Sorceress was said to be planning on siding with the dragons, unless Elder Max was right…

"No more delays! Every day, thousands are killed because of these horrid beasts!" she said in anger. "No more, release him." The guards opened the cage and dumped Spyro onto the ground. The Sorceress began advancing on him with her staff, which had a long, clear stone on the end. Spyro tried to back up, but his fear held him in place. She raised the staff and screamed out "With the power of the ancestors of Avalar, forever banish the gems of his heart!" She smashed it into his chest.

Spyro felt as if everything inside of him had been crushed. He felt as if a large shard of glass driving him had been broken into a million pieces. He felt limp and weak. The room started to spin around, he fell to the ground and lay there. As he slipped into unconsciousness, the Sorceress began to speak.

"Perfect, the amethyst of identity and the garnet of flame will stay in my kingdom, the diamond of purity will go to my loyal subject, Sgt. Byrd, the ruby of bravery will head to Avalar with Ripto, Gnasty Gnorc will be in possession of the opal of flight, Grendor will get the topaz of strength, Crush and Gulp, you two wanted the turquoise of kindness and the pearl of majesty, I believe?" they nodded and she continued "My niece, whom is learning the art of dark magic shall get the aquamarine of hope; heavens, she needs it more than any of us… Where was I? The emerald of power will go with the Gemcutter army, the peridot or strength and the sapphire of unity with head with the faun army and the fairy army. Alright, I do believe that I have rambled on long enough. Take what's yours and head back. We wouldn't want to raise any suspicion." She concluded.

Spyro looked around in shock and alarm. The lake was fogged over, no sun was there, the green grass had died and rotted, not another living thing was there. Sparx, his parents, everyone. The silence was horrifying. Not even the wind could blow away the fog so he could see the sun for a few seconds. All was dark and dull. It was almost as if his very soul was taken away.

Spyro's eyes shot open in alarm. He was on the dungeons floor along with his friends who were wearing concerned looks.

"Spyro sweetie, what's wrong?" Ember asked, hoping to get at least a snappy remark back.

"I'm not a dragon anymore. All the things that make me who I am… they're gone. I'm just a soulless waste of precious air. My gems are gone. I am no longer able to call myself 'dragon' I'm just Spyro. Spyro the living being." He said dully.

"But, Spyro!" Cynder said in horror.

"Just drop it. I'm tired. You are, too." He said, dropping into a deep sleep. His friends just stared at each in amazement. Was it possible to have no emotions? Was it possible to have no personality and no care for the world? Was this the fall of Spyro the dragon? They waited in silence for about an hour, and then one by one, they drifted to sleep.

_Wake up. Wake up little dragon. I am here to help you_. A lovely voice said. It sounded like the innocence of a child. She sounded about 13 years, maybe a bit older. A shadow holding a glistening key unlocked the door. Spyro stared at her in a daze. _You'll have to head through the hole in the floor, it leads to the moat. I know it's cold, but you'll be okay. In about ten minutes, the coat will be all clear for you to leave._ She said, turning to leave.

Sparx and Ember awoke, hearing footsteps in the silence of the night.

"Hey… the door. It's open! Let's get out of here before someone notices!" Sparx whispered.

"Good plan. Spyro, Cynder, Spyro, let's leave." Ember said. Spyro, being half-awake awoke almost instantly. Cynder was a bit groggy, but managed to sit up.

"We have to go through the hole in the floor that leads to the moat." Spyro said, still not showing any emotion.

"How do you know?" Sparx asked.

"I just do. Do you want to die? We have to swim through the moat to get out and into town." He said. Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door. As they walked down the hallway, cynical creatures stared at them. Yet again, whispers arose. Spyro ignored it and jumped headfirst into the hole. After a few seconds of falling, he felt water smack against his body. It was cold, but just cold enough to be liquid. The chill stung his eyes worst of all, but he swam at a normal pace, making no haste. Ember and Cynder rushed past him, carrying a stream of bubbles, one of which Sparx was enclosed in. Breaking the surface was like taking their first breath of air. Spyro climbed out last, shivering in the cold, but ignoring it.

"We made it!" Ember said, spinning in a circle. She ran to Spyro and hugged him. "You're so smart, I knew I could trust you. I always did!" Spyro paid no attention and directed his attention to a small wooded area.

"Well, I see you three can manga on your own together." He finally concluded.

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked him.

"A dragon with no heart is no dragon at all. You belong together. I'm just living, breathing dead weight." He turned to the wooded area once again and walked slowly with his head down."

"Hey! Come back Spyro! We'll get your magic rocks back, I promise!" Sparx called after him. Within the blink of an eye, Spyro was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Spyro entered the forest with a feeling of uncertainty in the air. Everything was quiet as death itself. Not even a small rabbit looking for a snack was there. Suddenly, a twig snapped. Spyro darted his eyes in that direction. Nothing was there. The shadows of the trees were swaying the gentle, yet silent breeze. With a pause, he continued forward. As he passed under a low branch, another noise was heard and some snow fell from the branches.

"Boo!"

"WAAAGH!" Spyro screamed, falling backwards. A large-eyed faun had dropped from the branch above and startled him. Her long brown hair was swaying in the gentle breeze. She was fairly pretty, probably in her teenage years.

"Did I scare you?" she asked, bending down to look him in the eye.

"Get away from me you little… annoyance!" Spyro screamed into her face, angered that he was surprised over nothing.

"Hey you little jerk, I helped you out!" she screamed back at him in a louder than necessary voice. Spyro remembered her voice from somewhere… the jail cell! She was the one who set him free.

"Thanks for the assistance to my friends, but you should've left me to rot. I _am _the enemy in this war after all, now _you_ have to flee the soldiers as well." He mumbled with no concern.

"Sounds like an adventure!" she said with a smile.

"If you say so…" he said, beginning back down the path. _She doesn't understand war at all!_ He thought, _it's all a game to her, isn't it?_ Some children grew up in sheltered, rich families that only spoke of war as more money out of their pockets. His feet in the snow crunched loudly_. Wait; is there an echo here? _He turned around to see that she was following him. "Why are you still here?" he asked.

"I thought that we were both running away, and there's strength in numbers, and I already helped you out once…" she blushed and looked to the ground.

"I won't be of any use to you, that's why I left my friends, I'm dead weight with no emotion." He replied.

"Aww, not for long! You can get those gems back from the nasty Sorceress! I'll help you." She said with an even brighter smile.

"My friends already offered that, but I shot them down. You can't just say something and do it. It's too hard of work." Spyro said, his lifeless eyes staring into her bright happy ones.

"But I already have one of them with me!" she said, pulling it out of her coat pocket. It was a sparking purple shard that shined with the greatest of might Spyro had ever seen.

"But- how did you- why did you…?" Spyro's head spun. A mysterious hyper young girl frees him from prison, tells him the way to go, and gives back confiscated items? She really _did_ know nothing of war. "We're on opposite sides! Why would you do that? Now you have nowhere to flee at all. The dragons are against the fauns of Avalar, and the Forgotten Realms and Avalar despise the dragons. Now your only hopes are to head into the unknown, or to another dimension…" he trailed off because she wasn't listening to him. Instead, she was trying some weird spell.

"Dark forces of the underworld's might, give him back his gem so he can fight!" she said, making weird hand motions with the gem.

"What kind of spell is _that_?" Spyro asked.

"A made up one." She said with a giggle.

"But that's not going to- why the hell would you think that- forget it." He said. Coming towards the gem, he looked at it. His life was divided into twelve actual concrete objects. It was hard for his mind to grasp the fact that anything as complicated could happen, but he shook away the confusing thoughts.

"I got it!" she said. The young faun bent down and held it in the general area where his heart would be. It shined even brighter, and then faded away.

"Where'd it go?" Spyro asked in alarm. He frantically spun around in circles, pushing up snow; he even checked her sleeves to see if she was playing a trick.

"I did it! I knew I could, but you didn't believe me." The faun said. "It's back inside of you now. You're one twelfth of being back to normal."

"I am?" he asked. To tell the truth, he did feel a bit different. "Thanks, erm…"

"Elora. Elora the faun of Avalar, pleased to meet you." She said, doing a curtsy with her long winter coat.

"What are you doing here?" Spyro asked, giving her a perplexed look.

"Two members of our family were killed, so we moved around, my father played his cards right and got us a place to stay. I stay at the castle in my own private quarters. Its sorta nice, but I don't like being a pretend princess, and I don't like living under that same roof with somebody who hates other people because what their relatives did a long time ago, I mean, it's not like they're still alive and in charge. But why can't you just give the land back to us, everything would stop." Elora said.

"We can't do that because you'd think we're weak and attack us and take more of our land that we had from the start." Spyro replied.

"No we wouldn't!" she said, sounding horrified "We'd be happy and leave you guys alone for giving us our freedom back!"

"Yeah, were you taught to be a soldier in school?" he snapped back at her.

"No! But my dad says- huh? A soldier?" she asked.

"Yup, our army is so desperate for men because you're killing so many of us!"

"I'm not killing anyone you horrible little jerk!" Elora said through tears, running away. Spyro stood there in shock at what just happened. He met a girl who freed him and helped him regain his soul. He explained his side on the war, she got offended, then ran away crying.

"Elora?" he asked the shining afternoon sun. No reply. _Sheesh, was I really that harsh?_ He thought to himself. A surge of guilt swept over him, remembering that she was now a rebel and could be subject to the death penalty. With a sigh, he headed off in the direction she ran. Life not being a real dragon was going to be tough.

The hours rolled on and the sun began to set. Spyro actually heard footsteps when he called her name out a couple times, so he assumed she was still upset and running away. Finally, he grew tired of running around and shouted,

"Alright Elora, you win! I'll just stop caring about you and leave." He began to stomp his feet in place, then more quietly to simulate the sound of walking away. A soft whimpering was heard from behind a tree. "Found you!" he shouted, rushing over before she had a chance to get away.

"What do you want? You're so mean Spyro!" she screamed.

"Do you even remember what you're crying about?" He asked in amazement that she could stay mad that long.

"Ummm, nope!" she said, brushing away the tears and smiling again.

"Oh my friggin' god, you can not be serious." Spyro said, trying not to strangle Elora. With a sigh, he backed down. The last thing he needed was for Elora to run away again. They were in this together, at least _now_ they were. "Well, I guess we'll need to find a place to stay for the night. That clearing over there looks nice."

"Then when we get up in the morning, we can try and find some more of your gems!" she said with a smile.

"It might not be as easy as that…" he mumbled.

"But we can try! And that's what matters most!" she said, walking over to sit under a tree around the clearing.

"Right. G'night Elora." Spyro said, lying next to her.

"Night Spyro." She said smiling.

The lake was dark and gloomy, everything pale and colorless with no life anywhere in sight. The fog had cleared and Spyro could see the now ruined lake. No life anywhere, everyone was gone and the pond was murky and dark. The sun was still clouded over, but Spyro had hope. The fog had cleared to show him what is there, a reminder of what could be there, and he had faith in trying harder the next day…


	4. Chapter 4

Spyro awoke the next morning to find Elora gone.

"Elora? Where are you! Hey? Oh no! What happened?" he spun in circles frantically.

"Boo!"

"WHAA- will you stop doing that?" he screamed.

"I was just getting us some food. I thought I'd make my citizenship useful before its made public that I'm wanted." She said, holding out a basket filled with fruitcakes and tarts.

"You got all this food that would spoil so very easily?" Spyro asked.

"I just thought you would like some cake…" she sounded hurt.

"No, no! I was just thinking about the worst, I do that sometimes." He said, trying to reassure her_. Geez Spyro! Not that many people get cake when they're running away, most people who are running away barley get food at all!_ He scolded himself for being rude to her again. The last thing he needed was for her to run away again. He took one from the basket and began to eat it. Once he finished, he took another and another. It had been almost three days since he'd last eaten.

"You don't need to grab them all, there's enough for us both." Elora said, as she continued to chew on her first. She spit some crumbs on him as she spoke.

"Didn't anyone at the castle tell you it's not ladylike to talk with a full mouth?" he asked.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to question princesses?" she asked.

"You're not a princess, you're more like a joker." He whispered under his breath.

"Then I shall be princess of the jokers!" she announced loudly, spinning in circles in an out-of-control manner.

"You certainly are fulfilling your duty, milady." Spyro said, giving a bow. "Hey, how old _are_ you?" Spyro asked.

"I, the princess of jokers and all things ridiculous, am fifteen and three months old!" Elora began to spin around again until her hair got caught in a low-lying tree branch. Once she got it free, she turned to him. "Why?"

"Just wondering, you acted a _lot_ like a little kid." He snickered. The truth was, the two were the same age and acted completely different. It might have been the fact that Spyro had to grow up to cope with the world he was born into. Elora had to live in the palace and eat cake all day, never being taught the dangers of the world, not hardened like he was. Maybe it was Spyro not acting his age, the truth was that he didn't know. He never had many friends, besides some younger dragons that he spoke with around the village.

"Soooo… what we gonna do today?" she asked, taking a bite out of a fruitcake.

"I'm not sure, the people who took the gems are scattered all over, no way to chase them down. I guess we could hang out here." Spyro said.

"Ewww, no way!" Elora said. "Teenagers from my school come here and make out!"

"You didn't tell me that!" Spyro jumped up and brushed the snow off himself furiously. Elora began to giggle uncontrollably. Spyro calmed down and waited for her to stop. She certainly loved playing jokes on people. When she finally stopped, she got serious. "What about your friends? Why can't we go and find them?" Spyro had completely forgotten about them, the childish faun had made him forget about pretty much _everything_.

"Hmm, last I remember, I ditched them." Spyro looked down at the ground. Turning his back on his friends was something he vowed _never_ to do.

"Well, why don't you go and un-ditch them?" she asked, offering him what was left in the basket.

"Is that even a word?" he asked, taking another little cake.

"We can make it a word!" she exclaimed, tugging him up from the ground. She gave him her childish smile again.

"I suppose if you want to…" he began to trail off. If his friends were traveling with them, it would mean less food, less water, a greater chance of being caught, and the fact that Ember would be whining on who they're going to invite to the wedding as soon as they return to the realms.

"C'mon! I'm sure they'll be so happy to see you just like I am!" she ran off in the direction of the city.

"Elora, wait!" Spyro said in a hushed serious tone. She did a cartwheel back to him. "Listen, this is _very_ important. When we go in public, we need to lay down some rules here. There is absolutely _no_ talking to civilians, pedestrians, officers, soldiers, or any type of public official when not necessary. You need to keep an _extremely_ low profile; you mustn't go out in broad daylight or to other areas that could have us discovered." Spyro said.

"Oh, I-I see…" she seemed to be getting the message that when you're running away, you can't be living your everyday life. Spyro seemed to notice her sudden change in attitude.

"Hey, cheer up! We can have fun when no one is around. I promise no matter how tired I am, no matter how much I don't want to, I will play with you whenever there is an opportunity." He said, regretting it instantly. She looked up and smiled. Having her happy would at least make this whole ordeal a little better.

On their way into town, Elora showed Spyro the way that she was able to get him out of the cell and get them some breakfast. She had a small stone pendant, a key she called it. It was a clear moonstone and apparently all inhabitants of certain areas had one. It was a piece of the most advanced technology Spyro had ever seen. Every market, lock, building and establishment had a port to insert they key into. Each key had it's own code that gave each person access to certain areas and places. All the data is sent to a machine that saves the information. At the end of each month, the data is checked over to see if a person was abusing their rights and get some taken away. Elora, being a member of the castle, had full rights and privileges.

"Say Elora," Spyro asked, "How'd you know I was in the cell?" Her eyes grew wide as if she'd been waiting for him to ask for centuries. But she was suddenly silent.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." She said with a wink. Spyro merely sighed.

Upon arrival at the city, Spyro devised a plan to follow Elora quietly, while avoiding as many eyes as possible. When a guard or officer came by, she would stay close and stand tall, as if leading him somewhere. This plan worked perfectly, the guards simply nodded their heads and smiled. Some even let out a greeting of "Milady" as she walked by. Once they reached the back of a building that looked like a high school, she stopped him.

"This is my school, we can grab some stuff from my locker before we leave!" she said with excitement.

"What could you possibly have in your locker that could be of use for fugitives?" he asked.

"What _don't_ I have in there?" She screamed with joy.

"Shush! If you don't be quiet, we won't live! I mean seriously…" Spyro said, raising his voice. "I mean, really. Anybody could find us back here, guards, students, friends of yours, market vendors, police-"

"I JUST KNEW I'D FIND YOU!" Ember interrupted, tackling him to the ground. She gave him the tightest hug possible.

"Ember!? Wait? He-help! I can't breathe!" Spyro said in shock.

"Oh Spyro! Now we can be together once again!" she screamed with glee. Spyro looked utterly appalled. Elora's eyes grew wide.

"Who's this?" she asked, trying to puzzle it together in her childish mind.

"I'm Ember, Spyro fiancé!" Ember snapped to her.

"Y-you are?" Elora asked. She was bewildered Spyro could like someone twice as hyperactive as she was.

"NO SHE IS NOT!" Spyro shouted, finally shoving Ember off onto the ground as he had done numerous times before.

"Oh, why deny it?" Ember asked, smiling gently. "Unless… YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME WITH THIS BROWN-HAIRED BITCH!" she screamed though rage.

"Hey, who are you calling a-"

"SHUSH." Spyro said, getting in-between them. "That's enough! I don't want to hear anymore of your whining," he said to Ember, "and no more of your… your… yourselfness!" Spyro said, pointing to Elora. "Now, Elora, what were you saying about getting supplies from the school?" he asked her. She was still dazed and hurt from the scolding she just got from Spyro, but quickly returned to her senses.

"Well, in the Shop room, we can get tools and blades; in my locker, I left my key's charger; and could always find some baskets laying around to carry things in." she said.

"Now that sounds like a plan. She what happens if you se your mind for good instead of annoyance?" he asked, giving her a smile. Ember looked at them disgustedly as they started for the school.


	5. Chapter 5

Breaking into a school was a lot harder than it sounded. Elora had to get a boost from Spyro to get up to a window, and then she had to force the lock open to get in. Once she was inside and the coast was clear, she had to reach out and pull Spyro and Ember in. Spyro was a bit heavy, and Ember refused to cooperate with her. After Spyro threatened to leave her, she whined until they helped her up.

"Okay Elora, where do we go?" Spyro asked her, surveying the empty classroom.

"Well, I'm guessing it's about 11 in the morning, so most students should be at lunch. So the Home Ec. Room isn't safe because some students make their lunches there, the science lab has a group of seniors in there, so I guess the shop room first." She concluded.

"Great plan, you go do that, and we'll stay here." Ember said, leaning towards Spyro.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you guys to stay here, right after lunch, this classroom gets filled up, big time. Let's all go down together." Elora said with her adorable smile. Ember sulked. They walked down the winding hallways, which had lockers on each side. Once they reached room 122A, Elora turned to them. "Okay, Spyro, I need your help in here getting stuff. Ember, you can keep watching because you're… _quiet_."

"Why do _you_ have to go in there with _him_? Do you have plans or something?" she sneered, baring her claws.

"Okay, you and I can go in together!" Elora cheered. Ember hissed in anger as they went in. The room was dark and had many desks. There were tables with circular saws on them and shelves weighed underneath hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers. Elora picked up a basket from the floor and set it down in front of the shelf. Ember gave her a perplexed look for a few seconds, but Elora motioned for her to get the tools. She glared at her once more, and then silently obeyed.

"Why do _I_ have to get them? You're three times taller!" Ember hissed as she tossed tools down from the top shelf, attempting to hit Elora a few times. Once the basket had 12 items in it, Ember climbed down. "Alright, we broke in, got what we needed, can we go _now_? I mean, really. This plan makes no sense; we could have stolen these things from the vendors in town by making a small distraction."

"Shush!" Elora shouted, pushing her and the basket under a nearby table. Spyro was making frantic gestures from the window, then disappeared from sight. The door creaked open and a wonderful sensation filled the room. A rabbit girl dressed in a long, dark pink robe entered the room. Around her neck was a large crystal shard, radiating a soft blue light. She had an over-the-shoulder bag that had a long, glittering wand sticking out of it.

"Oh, Elora", she said "I didn't think you were at school today. Wait, what _are_ you doing alone in this room with the lights off?" she asked, looking around.

"Hello Bianca, I was just trying to find my homework. All day. But I didn't want my teacher to find out because that would be three missed assignments, and I don't want detention." Elora replied, her eyes darting to under the table to see if Ember was still there.

"Ugh! You are the most childish, sloppy, and irresponsible person I have ever met. I'm _so_ glad I got the gem instead of you. You'd probably lose it! Then again, my aunt isn't very trustworthy either. Did you hear? This morning, it was missing from her treasure vault, and she's tearing the whole kingdom apart. Word's spreading around the guards that the prisoners escaped, too." She said, eyes growing wide. "Just when we captured dragons. The war could've ended. I'm tired of this. It's driving everyone insane!" Bianca finished.

"Well, what'cha gonna do?" Elora asked, backing up towards the table. She began to point with her foot to the window, trying to give Ember the message that it was okay to leave. "Say, that's an awful fancy chain that you've got the gem hanging on. Real pretty silver."

"Oh? Thanks. I had to haggle an awful lot to get it at this one jewelry vendor's place. He absolutely refused to take less than 300, and you know we only get 150 per month. So you're never going to believe what I had to go through. First…" Elora looked out of the corner of her eye to notice Ember's pink tail slipping out the window. She relaxed and had to worry about prying the gem from Bianca.

"Say, you know that mint-blue dress I had when the palace was having a ball?" Elora asked.

"Yeah." Bianca said, trying to figure out what she was up to.

"We, I kinda plan on wearing it again for this other formal occasion, and I need something to compliment it, and I have _nothing_ that's the same color as those heels I have. But you-"

"Oh _no_! This here gem is _mine_. I need it. I'll never become a sorceress and help with the war effort. We're desperately running out of magical commanders, and I'm in training to take overall command once I finish! This gem can make me all-powerful, and you want to use it as a fashion accessory?! I can NOT believe you!" a very infuriated Bianca screamed out.

"Well… It's for… a date." Elora lied, trying to appeal to Bianca's sensitivity. Bianca owed her one big time in that kind of thing. Helping her write notes, find the guy's locker, etc.

"A date? I guess so. Don't lose it or I'll kill you!" she said, taking it off and tossing it to Elora. "Now, what's his name?" Bianca asked, her eyes lighting up with ultimate happiness.

"Erm… umm… Spyro!" Elora shrieked, using the only boy's name on her mind.

"Aww, how cute!" Bianca said. She was excited that Elora was finally going to grow up, get herself a boyfriend, and possibly stop acting Elora-ish.

"Listen, I gotta go, _now_. See you around!" Elora said, dashing out the door. The bell rang as she made her way to the exit, several students watching her run by them in a rush. A few called after her, but she pretended not to notice. Once she pushed open the door to the main entrance, she flew down the steps to the back of the school.

"Hey. You're back." Spyro said. Ember turned her nose up in the opposite direction.

"I… got… your… gem, Spyro." Elora chocked out between gasps of air. She held it close to his heart and it glowed bright blue. The happy sensation that followed the gem faded slowly as it appeared to take effect on Spyro.

"Elora." He said, looking up into her eyes. "I- I want to thank you. For helping me get back two of my gems. I really do. I hate to ask you this… but would you help me find the others? Please, I think we can do it!"

"Isn't that what I've been trying to do all along?" Elora asked with a bright smile. "C'mon. It's going to get late pretty soon. It's already 2:30, in another four hours; the sun will start to set. Let's go get some food and use these tools to take it easy in the woods."

Bianca watched this sight from the window and cursed herself for being so gullible. _I was always told there is no one that you can trust more than yourself. I should've believed that. When I get my hands on that traitor, she'll regret even being born._ She thought to herself as she turned away from the window and got ready to head to her next class.

As the sun faded away into night, the three piled up together in the clearing in the woods, Spyro began to dream. The lake was still a pretty depressing scene, but the water shined with all its might. The glassy surface was radiant and full of life. Hope was on the horizon and it would soon come in handy.


	6. Chapter 6

Spyro awoke to find himself being jabbed with a long pointed stick. A scrawny-looking cheetah was holding it firmly as he got him a few times in the ribcage.

"Oh, stop _that_!" Spyro moaned, smacking it out of his grasp. The cheetah looked quite frightened, but then bared his claws to show he was serious.

"Alright dragon, get up! I'm reporting you straight to the army! You're under arrest!" he said, puffing out his chest to show off his imaginary muscles.

"Says who?" Elora shrieked, tossing a snowball at the back of his head. She was holding yet another basket of sweet treats, apparently she had gotten them breakfast again. The cheetah looked quite alarmed when the snowball hit the back of his head.

"Ah! Hey, don't do that! I'm a soldier and I can totally arrest you!" he said, picking up the stick and pointing it at Elora.

"You're not in the army, you're too young. You look about my age! And that's not even a weapon, you probably got a broomstick and sharpened it with your daddy's razor." Elora teased.

"I did NOT!" the cheetah screamed back, his face turning bright red. He looked down at the ground to hide his face from her gazing eyes. Ember walked from behind a tree with a grin on her face.

"Don't be mean, Elora! Maybe he's too poor! Probably from a weak regiment, y'know, the ones that are just so pathetic, the throw 'em all together so that they'll have a group to be in the first line." She said, taking the opportunity to shoot someone else down.

"I am not! I'm a real warrior, ever since I was a kid, I've been training, I was the underdog, and no one thought I could! But I did, and you'll prove it as soon as I turn you in!" he said, pointing the stick at Spyro.

"Good luck with that." Spyro replied, getting up. "Hey Elora, what's for breakfast?" he asked, walking right by the cheetah.

"Oooh! Food? I'm starved!" Ember cheered, snatching a few cakes from the basket, then retreating to where she was sitting.

"Hey you! I am Hunter, warrior of Avalar, how dare you ignor-"

"You want something to eat?" Elora asked. "We've got some extras, we can't send you home on an empty stomach."

"I'm not going home unless you guys are under arrest!" Hunter said through gritted teeth.

"You're gonna have a long wait." Spyro said, crumbs flying out of his mouth. Hunter looked infuriated.

"If you disobey the army, then you're going to pay!" he said, jabbing Spyro with the stick again. "You dragons have caused us enough pain and suffering, so if you submit now, we'll stop killing all your dragon friends!"

"First off," Spyro said, sitting up and getting ready to give a lecture "I myself didn't cause the war. Second, how can we be blamed for rebellion? It was the choice of the rulers of Avalar and the realms we currently are in. Third we actually allowed you to have rulers within reason. It _is_ our land, but we give you the respect that you need. Fourth, we've protected your kingdoms from multiple attacks from invasive creatures from places beyond the unexplored mountains. Fifth, you have no idea what you're fighting for, to end the violence, or for independence." he finished. Hunter was frozen on the spot, bewildered.

"Yeah, well, I-umm…" he stuttered. Elora began to giggle. Ember started laughing as well, seeing the expression on Hunter's face.

"Alright, so you want some food or not?" Elora asked again, offering him the basket.

"Fine!' he mumbled, snatching up a tart and eating it. At first he was sneering, but he began to smile. Seeing that the three were looking, he went back to sneering.

"So… you're from Avalar and you're in the army…" Elora asked casually, she twirled her hair around her finger and looked up. Whatever was on her mind seemed to be pretty important due to the fact she was actually containing herself now.

"Yeah?" Hunter asked, looking at her suspiciously, as if trying to remember something.

"Just wondering if you-"

"There they are! SIEZE THEM!" a soldier screamed as he saw them. Suddenly, several more soldiers came and blocked their exit from one side of the clearing. Spyro stumbled off the ground and made a break for it. Ember followed closely behind and Elora was picking up their supplies as she tried to get away. Hunter, nervous about losing his chance, ran after them.

"Where are we going?" Elora screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping Spyro would hear her.

"Anywhere but here!" was the reply he shot back to her. She turned back to see that Hunter was about a foot behind her. Before she could blink an eye, he grabbed onto her arm and tackled her to the ground.

"He-help!" she shrieked, kicking and trying to bite him. Spyro stopped dead in his tracks and turned back. Ember stopped and shouted several things back to him.

"Ember! Head to Crystal Mountain! I'll find you there, I promise, just go!" Spyro shouted back as he wrestled Hunter off Elora. Ember began to run, but stopped to take a final look at Spyro. She then ran into town.

"I'll get you, I swear!" Hunter screamed, Spyro had him pinned on the ground, and Elora was getting up, and trying to get Spyro run instead of putting his vengeance on Hunter. As the soldiers surrounded them from all sides, the three stopped dead in their tracks and looked into the lifeless eyes of the troops. Elora and Spyro raised their hands in the air as Hunter got up and joined those surrounding them.

Ember stood in Town Square and looked at the towering mountain. Crystal Mountain was the only explored mountain in the whole kingdom. A group of explorers had once ventured onto it and declared it unsafe. Only one returned to tell the story. All the other mountains were frozen beyond the ability to climb and led into the great unknown that was filled with creatures that were uncivilized, primitive, and extremely dangerous. The mountain held a small trail that led a quarter of the way up, but after that, it was as safe a jumping into a volcano. Some thought that beyond the great kingdoms, lay nothing. Other believed that there were other places that held similar civilizations, the one thing that was for certain was that no one has ever escaped beyond.

With a nervous shudder, Ember started through the large iron gates that led to the mountain trail. She turned back once more to see if Spyro had escaped and was coming for her, but only a chilly breeze greeted her. The show crunched under her feet as she began to ascend the ruthless mountain.


	7. Chapter 7

Spyro and Elora were tossed onto the floor of a nearby abandoned building. The soldiers had taken them there to get an interrogation. The two weren't leaving until all the information was taken down, then a "suitable punishment" would be given. After an hour of misleading answers, the troops decided to take a break. Hunter walked up and confronted them

"Well, well, well." He said with a smile. "Not so high and mighty, now, are we? Too bad your little pink friend isn't here to enjoy it. I guess I'll be heading to Crystal Mountain on my own and tracking her down, eh?"

"Don't you dare!" Spyro hissed. The fury of his entire soul burned in his eyes.

"Calm down Spyro, he'll never even make it." Elora assured him.

"Well, if I don't get her, the seasonal blizzards will. It's only a matter of time now…" Hunter said, leaning against his pointed stick.

"_Blizzards_?" Spyro asked in alarm. He had never heard of seasonal blizzards.

"Every three years or so, due to wind and water patterns, we receive blizzards in this area, it's really horrible. It effects areas high in the mountains the worst of all!" Elora informed him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Spyro spat out through gritted teeth.

"Because the fuzzball had his foot lodged in my face at the time." Elora said, gesturing to Hunter.

"Hunter, scram!" an older soldier shouted. "Stop teasing the prisoners, go to bed, or something."

"But I helped capture them-" he began.

"I don't want to hear it, get out of here! It's going to take a while to get this two to talk, once they confess, we'll turn them in, and get our medals." The soldier scolded.

"_Our_ medals? _Our_? I was the one who-"

"Dream on, little boy. Dream on." He laughed, getting some other soldiers to join in. Hunter looked upset. He propped his stick against the wall, picked up his scarf, which lay abandoned in the corner, then left through the old rusted door. As he walked through the lightly falling snow, he turned to Crystal Mountain; it's snowy peak gazing down upon him. He jingled his jacket pockets to see that he had just enough to buy a lighter and a small snow shovel. Heading to a local store, he bought what he needed and got moving.

Hours later, Elora and Spyro still had not spoken a word of what they were doing to the soldiers. It was about 8 in the evening, and it had already grown dark. Snow blew in from the broken window and the lanterns of the soldiers outside were faintly visible. For moments, there was only silence, and then the door creaked open.

"Got another one for the collection." Said the soldier who entered, tossing a small rusted birdcage to the ground. Inside, Sparx lay on his side, his wings faintly glowing in the darkness.

"Sparx!" Spyro exclaimed, dashing up from the corner he and Elora were sitting in. He shook the cage like wild, trusting him against the sides of the cage.

"Oww, stop it! Spyro, no! Bad boy, down!" he screamed between smacks against the bars.

"I can't believe it! You're okay!" he said, picking at the lock with one of his claws.

"And you're done being emotionally depressed." Sparx said, sounding surprised. "What happened? You got your rocks back, went berserk on them, then got capture and are being kept here until they can find a mental hospital!"

"Ummm, no? Elora, oh she's right here" he said, pointing to her "helped me get back two of my gems, so I'm almost back to normal!"

"Elora eh?" Sparx asked as he flew over to her. "I've seen your face somewhere. I don't know where…"

"Well, I've seen your face somewhere too. On the ground!" Elora shouted, laughing at her own joke. Apparently Sparx made his perfect first impression.

"Ha! That's a good one. _Really_ funny. Did you think of it all by yourself? Or did your mommy and daddy help you?"

"Will you to stop it?" Spyro asked. "We have no idea whatever happened to Cynder, and Ember's probably hiking up the mountain, waiting for me to come and save her-"

"So? I thought you hated her." Sparx asked. "You really must've lost your true self, because if you were back to normal, you'd be partying right now."

"Oh! Party? I wanna dance!" Elora declared as she got up and began to spin around as she had done multiple times before.

"A like this girl." Sparx said, making as much noise as possible, in an attempt to irritate the guards outside. An icy wind came through the window, sending Sparx flying to the next wall.

"It's only a matter of time now. I wonder where Hunter went. Even for a wannabe soldier, you can't help but feel worried. He can't be older than 15. And he's not the toughest rock in the coal mine, either." Elora said. Her voice was low and hoarse, as if the wind had blown all her excitement away. One of the lanterns outside went out, but the shadow of the soldier remained standing. The only light was now from the Sparx, and the moon, which was slowly fading away. After a few moments of silence, Spyro spoke.

"I'm sure he's okay. He wouldn't go after Ember so late at night, would he? He's probably being pissed off at his house, or in his camp. And Ember might be waiting at the base of the mountain, just hanging out until I come so she can scold me for taking so long."

"Man, if you're looking for someone in this weather, you might as well forget it." Sparx said as he got off the floor. "I can feel it coming, and _man_, it's gonna be bad! I'm talkin' houses buried under feet of snow, drinking water frozen, stranded in buildings for days, bad!"

"Holy crap! You can NOT be serious!" Spyro shouted, but seeing the look on his friend's face, he knew it was no lie. "Okay, we have to find them. Hunter, Ember, Cynder, I don't care the cost, we need to do something!" he said as he stood up. Without hesitation, he ran into the door as fast as her could and crashed into it. The door didn't move a bit. He walked to the back of the room and charged towards it again. Voices were heard on the other side. "Run with me this time." He whispered to them. Elora nodded and Sparx looked at him like he was crazy. The three ran as fast as they could, just as they were about to crash, the door flew open.

"What is going on in-WOAH!" screamed one of the soldiers as the three flew out the door and sprinted down the pathway that led to the abandoned building. Already, a soft, powdery layer of snow had covered the thick, hard one. The shouts were heard from behind them and lanterns were turning on. Spyro blindly led them towards the forest. Remembering how easy it was for the soldiers to find them, Spyro did a 90-degree turn away and headed towards town. Within a few minutes, they managed to lose them. Remaining hidden in an alley for the night, Spyro looked once again at the mountain, then looked back down to his feet.


	8. Chapter 8

Ember fought the searing icy winds that stung her face worse than a slap in the face. All she could see was white. The night before, she had to climb through the light snow, but took many breaks and she now regretted it. Blood rushed through her head fast as she took each individual step through the snow. Everything seemed unreal, she had no idea what direction she was going, forwards, backwards, it didn't matter. The blood rushed faster and faster. Everything spun out of control for a few moments, then faded to black.

The night without heat in the alley was horrible for Spyro, Elora, and Sparx. They huddled together through the night, but with no luck. Without the power of his flame, Spyro was absolutely useless in the snow without his flame.

"Elora, wake up." Spyro said, nudging her. She groaned loudly. Throughout the night, she had gotten little to no sleep and was now being sound. Sparx stretched and yawned, but then shivered as the snow greeted him. With a silent gesture, Spyro led them out of the alley. Snow was built up on everyone's door, the world seemed silent with the exception of the howling winds. The skies were a very dark shade of grey, with no way to tell what time it was without a watch. Footprints were scattered about, but filled with snow, indicated it had been a long time since they had been created. The whole world seemed to have taken a sudden pause. As cautiously walked through the streets, they couldn't help but feel as though they were being watched. This feeling was more realistic than they could ever imagine.

"Oh, it seems the little dragon's got more guts than I first anticipated. But no worries, he'll have to come back for his little friend eventually, now won't he?" The Sorceress asked, turning away from the crystal ball, speaking to Cynder, who was chained to the wall by a thick metal collar.

"You're terrible! Treating us this way! What have we ever done to you?" Cynder snapped back in disgust.

"To me directly? Nothing dear, nothing. But to my people, WHAT HAVEN'T YOU DONE? Keeping us under your iron-fisted rule, pushing us so close to the edge, we were ready to fall off, but once we give you a little push back, you make a war out of it!" she screamed in Cynder's face.

"Yes blame me for what others have done. That's exactly why we're in this situation, and you know it-"

"BE SILENCED!" the enraged Sorceress shouted. "It's only a matter of time until your friend finds out where you are and does a rescue, and when he does, I'll pulverize him with his own flame!" she grinned as she turned back to the crystal ball. "It's all coming together just perfectly. Just perfectly, indeed."

Ember sat up in shock, but quickly looked around her. All was dark with the exception of the fire blazing next to her. A crudely knitted blanket had been draped over her. She looked to see snow falling at rapid speeds. It took her a few minutes to realize that she was in a cave, being sheltered from the harsh weather. Near her was a bowl carved from a rock. The contents of it looked delicious. Unfortunately, they weren't. She spit out what she thought to be soup as soon as it touched her tongue.

"Ick, bark soup. I never liked it." She said, setting it back down. The moment she put it down, she picked it back up and gulped it all down. Never in her life had she been so hungry. As she finished, she set it back down where it had been. In the back of the cave was a large stack of wood. She picked up a few pieces and put them on the pile. It was still a pretty small fire, so she topped it off with her flame. It roared up high for a moment, but then died down to a reasonable size. Ember wrapped the blanket around herself, the warmer she was, the better off she'll be. Without warning, a large shadow filled the cave entrance. Ember's eyes grew wide and fear as it neared her. As the shadow fell upon her, she crouched down in defense. By the light of the fire, she noticed it was a creature with shaggy white fur and two horns oh his head.

"Ah, I see that our guest has finally come back into consciousness, eh Bartholomew?" he said, lighting a large stick that he had in his hand. A small creature came from behind him. He was a little bigger than Ember

"Hello there, my name's Bartholomew, how 'bout you?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to shake. Ember just started in amazement. "Me and my brother Bentley found you out in the snow, so we thought we'd give you a hand." He said, gesturing over to the larger creature.

"W-what _are_ you?" was what managed to escape her mouth.

"Us? Why, we're yeti." Bentley said with a grin. "Travelers who seem to have lost their way often pass out in the snow. Often times it can be far too late, and there's nothing we can do. You're quite a lucky one, you are. What might your name be?"

"I'm Ember, Ember from the Dragon Kingdoms." She replied, still amazed at the two yetis.

"Dragon Kingdom? Never heard of it." Bartholomew said in confusion.

"Huh? We own all the land surrounded by the mountains. Well, they're kinda rebelling against us and it's causing this whole war, it's looking pretty grim…" Ember admitted.

"War? I've lived here since I was born and I've never heard about any of it." Bartholomew said.

"I'm even older and neither have I." Bentley chimed in, re-stacking the woodpile due to the fact that it had toppled over.

"So you guys are complete shut-outs from our world?" She asked, her eyes growing wide.

"Well, huge glaciers used to be where everything you know was. When they began to melt, the mountains were elevated, like a valley. Eventually, over some prehistoric nonsense, the dragons pushed the yeti back further and further until we were in the mountains, you see, this was before we could really get the facts straight and record it all down, but it's been passed down generation by generation, you know." Bentley explained

"Oh" Ember said quietly. It seemed like dragons of the past were cruel, cold-blooded fighters.

"No hard feelings, Miss. One cannot be blamed on actions that are other than their own" he reassured her. She looked up and smiled. For a few minutes, only silence was in the cave and the sound of the fire burning the wood. Ember looked out of the cave to see the howling winds and couldn't help but wonder when Spyro was coming back.


	9. Chapter 9

Spyro dashed across the street. He made a gesture for Elora and Sparx to follow. Soon, the three were a block away from The Town Square. Spyro motioned that they were going the other way, but Elora pointed in the other direction. Spyro gave another gesture in his direction, but Elora stood firm on her plan. Spyro knew standing still in the snow was bad because it was incredibly cold, so he nodded and they trotted off in her direction. She motioned for them to stop. Once again, they were staring at the great castle, no longer sparkling due to the lack of sunlight. Elora seemed to be in a trance, staring upon its might.

"Elora… Elora! Hey!" Spyro said, trying to draw her attention.

"What? Oh. Spyro, we have to get inside." Elora said suddenly, without even turning to look at him.

"…Why?" Spyro asked. He looked into her eyes to see the deep soulless glare that shone. She was concentrating on something, he hyper personality had faded and only the blank stare was left. She was sure of something, whatever it was. Sparx seemed confused of the situation. Elora, the hyper, mega-happy teen that never paid attention was now spiritually sound and calm. It was quite an eerie sight. After a few more moments of silence and some more mumbling, Spyro shook her lightly. She snapped out of the trance, the looked at him.

"Well, aren't we going?" Elora asked with a smile. Spyro and Sparx exchanged stares. Spyro merely nodded, as he wanted to see where this was going.

"My my, Elora, you've grown into quite the clever young woman. Too bad as soon as I catch you, I'll have to kill you, you little traitor!" The Sorceress said, once again gazing into the crystal, watching them move towards the palace. "Look at that, even using her key to gain access. Such a wonder mind, such a brilliant girl, all hidden underneath her childish behavior. And such power… Ability to sense heart fragments when they're nearby. She would have made a wonderful leader in our army, but alas, that won't be happening. She'll be executed with the rest of you". She said, turning to Cynder, who was now resting on the ground. Her bright red eyes that were always filled with life were dulled. She shivered and curled into a ball to keep warm in her sleep, but the more she struggled, the colder it seemed to get. With every cough, her lungs burned as if she was being forced to breathe ash straight from hell. With a grin, the Sorceress murmured, "_If you live long enough to be executed…_"

Ember sat up in surprise. She must have fallen asleep while speaking with the yeti. She looked around and to her horror found that they were gone. Rubbing her eyes to get adjusted to the dim light, she noticed Bentley and Bartholomew's silhouettes in the cave entrance. Ember's eyes widened as she noticed that they were carrying something.

"Now, now. Don't be alarmed, Miss. We just found another traveler wandering in the snow. Not a very bright one, no hat, scarf, or anything." Bentley said, setting him down. The traveler looked up at Ember, and then sat up in shock.

"You!" Hunter screamed, pointing to her accusingly.

"Well, well. If it isn't the wannabe warrior who can't even afford a real weapon. How's life been?" Ember teased, giving him a wide grin.

"Yeah well, at least I'm not… _stupid_!" Hunter snapped back.

"Hey, c'mon. Don't fight, you guys are stuck here until it's safe to descend the mountain, so get along!" Bartholomew said, trying to break up the argument. Ember smiled and Hunter sulked. He knew it would be a while before Ember and him could leave safely, and even a longer while before he could get her far away enough from the yeti to place her under arrest. It was going to be a long two weeks…

Elora stuck her key in the nearby scanner off the side of the door servants used to gain access to scurry around without being seen. Their uniforms showed that they were of lower class, and should only show themselves when needed. Elora often liked to dress up in the maids' uniforms and play around. When she had been caught, she had bee punished greatly. But that didn't stop the servants from having an outfit especially tailored for her. It was in the closest in the female servant's quarters. All they needed to do was get in and Elora could walk around freely to find whatever she was looking for, provided no one recognized her. As soon as the door opened, Spyro and Sparx found themselves staring down a dank, dark hallway, lit by a few light bulbs, swaying to and fro from the chilly winter breeze. Snow had already found it's way in, but it was better than being outside. The heavy iron door slammed behind them, leaving the moist, moldy stench hanging in the air. For few minutes, the walked further, and further down the hallway, it getting a bit warmer and they moved on. At the end of the hallway, there were three doors, two on the side, and one at the end. Elora took the one to the left and walked down some stairs. She motioned for them to follow. The room was quite large and had two rows of beds on each side; each had plain blue sheets and a white pillow. The bed frames were all made of wood. Wooden trunks were at the end of each bed, where one would keep their personal belongings. The floor had speckled linoleum that was scratched in places were furniture had been moved. Lamps were placed in five locations to make the room seem bright and cheery. The whole room was heated from a vent in the corner of the room. Elora walked over to the closet at the end of the room.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Spyro asked, following her.

"Upstairs. Working in the kitchen, brining people lunch, tending to people's needs, etcetera." Elora answered, opening the closet door and taking her uniform off its hanger. It was a dress that stopped at her knees, made of a sky blue fabric, with white fur lining the bottom, sleeves and collar. A large white ribbon was tied around the waist, and tied into a bow on the back.

"_That's_ for servants?" Spyro asked in shock.

"Of course, they don't want us walking around looking like slop. _It's an eyesore_." Elora answered as she began to put it on. Spyro turned around and used his wings to cover his eyes.

"Hey Elora, Spyro's peaking!" Sparx shouted.

"Am not! This isn't time to be fooling around!" Spyro said, turning to Sparx, while putting a wing over his face.

"Are too!" Sparx said, tugging on his other wing, and then flying away.

"Oh, I'll get you for that!" Spyro laughed, blindly trying to find him. He could faintly see the glow of Sparx, but he bumped into the wall three times, so it might've been the lamp.

"Surprise attack!" Elora shouted, leaping on Spyro and pinning him on the ground.

"Oh, come _on_! Not fair, you're bigger than me!" Spyro said, trying to throw her off. "And besides, we have to get moving for… whatever it is you're after."

"Okay, I have a feeling we'll need to get to the Sorceress's private chambers. We're gonna need a place to hide you guys… How do you feel about hiding in a laundry cart?" she asked.

"Better than being caught and thrown in the dungeon again." Sparx said.

"Alright, let's get moving!" Spyro said.


	10. Chapter 10

Elora found a spare cart and Spyro and Sparx hopped in. She covered it with a few spare bed sheets and dragged it up several flights of stairs before coming upstairs to the most glorious part of the castle. It was very warm and cozy; Spyro could almost fall asleep if it weren't for the constant vibration of Elora dragging them up the stairs. After a few minutes, she stopped for a while.

"Hey… it's lunch time, want me to get you guys some food?" Elora whispered. Once again, with the mention of food, their appetites returned.

"Yeah, whatever you can find is good, just don't make it look suspicious." Spyro whispered back.

"Alright, I'll put this in the laundry room for a few minutes." Elora said. Once again the thumping of going up and down stairs was upon Spyro and Sparx. Within a few minutes, Elora returned, holding some stale bread and some sliced tomatoes. She slipped some in the cart for them to eat.

"This is all you guys get?" Spyro asked as Sparx ate as much that could fit in his little dragonfly mouth.

"Yeah, they don't want us eating a lot, they can't have us gaining weight so we get lazy and don't feel like doing work". Elora answered through a mouth full of bread. "Well, better get going!" Elora said cheerily, tugging the cart up some more stairs. Sparx loved every second of it, but Spyro was tired and needed rest. Falling asleep here would be dangerous. He had to keep his guard up and stay alert in case anything happened to Elora. _She may have just been some friendly kid, but now she's involved._ Spyro thought to himself. He hoped that things would work out, somehow…

Hunter watched Ember out of the corner of his eyes while he ate the soup the yeti gave him. She finished hers in two gulps and was now watching the fire burn. After a few moments, she noticed him and stuck her tongue out. The look on Hunter's face was as if he had been told he was a worthless piece of scum. He was about to snap at her, but she interrupted.

"So… Hunter, what brings you to the desolate mountain in blizzard season?" Ember asked in her most innocent voice.

"Well, I was trying to track down this person who's wanted for war crimes, and ran away from me when I had her pinned. Do _you_ know where she might be?" Hunter asked while biting his tongue.

"I haven't a clue" she replied with a faint smile.

"War isn't a nice thing, now is it?" Bartholomew asked. "What's the big conflict over anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems stupid that people are joining the army without knowledge of what they're fighting for." Ember said.

"It's always a wonderful idea to get the facts straightened out first" Bentley said, stacking firewood in the back of the cave. He had apparently been searching for more wood when he found Hunter out there.

"Yeah, but it's a wonderful idea to review the laws before traveling to a supposedly dangerous place, huh?" Hunter asked.

"True, true. One must always be careful in order to keep oneself out of trouble. It's quite a big world out there."

"Yes, but in said big world, why can't we all stick together and be kind?" Ember asked.

"Being kind is only asking for you to be stepped all over!" Hunter snapped at her.

"And not being kind is basically _teaching_ people to step all over everyone else." Ember replied, keeping her cool.

"And breaking the law is basically a bad influence to everyone else!" Hunter said, his voice rising.

"And being a complete jackass is a bad-"

"Enough! STOP IT." Bentley interrupted. "No more arguing from either of you. We all have different opinions, we all are free to express them in a _peaceful_ manner." Ember snorted, but seeing the sharp, unhappy expression on Bentley's face, she decided to cut the snappy remarks for now. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Bartholomew spoke.

"Soo… what's it like down there, I mean aside from the war zones?"

"The Dragon Kingdom is really nice. We have nice weather most of the time, and if it snows on the rare occasion, it's just enough to make snowballs to toss at each, but not enough to get in everyone's way. The villages are all self-sufficient. All of our necessities come from ourselves and surrounding villages. Traders come to the villages sometimes, they have pretty nice things. We go to school to learn a few skills. I remember the peaceful afternoons when we all used to just sit around and watch the sun set over the hills, always wondering what lay beyond them…" Ember smiled and closed her eyes as she spoke. Everything she knew had been torn apart so fast. It felt good to sit back and remember how nice things were.

"Well, in Avalar, we haven't known much peace, due to the war. But we have large castles and everyone is kinda off doing their own thing. We've never been united, really. We only really speak with people from our own towns. It's not that we dislike everyone else; it's just that we just don't really speak to them. And the fauns seem to rule the roost, too. Why, I may never know, they're everywhere, too." Hunter said, trying to remember. He must have left home at a young age to become a soldier; it takes a while to instill trust in someone that young.

"Those both seem like nice places to visit. If we could, I'm sure we'd go one day." Bartholomew said, trying to keep the two of them in their happy moods.

"Yeah," Ember said in a daze. She could just feel the warm sunlight on her head she watched Spyro and some of his friends racing from the pond to the tree to see who was the fastest. Spyro would win every time, but he let some others win because he was a good sport. Cynder would walk up and challenge one of them to a play fight; she always had a grin on her face whenever she lost. Female or not, she always proved herself a tough opponent.

"Hey, you okay?" Hunter asked, giving her a poke in the side. Her daydreaming must have lasted longer than she had thought.

"Yeah, I guess" Ember mumbled back. She wished he hadn't interrupted her and she could've just kept on dreaming forever.

"Soooo… when it's safe enough for you guys to get down the mountain, do you want a way to remember how not to get lost around here?" Bentley asked, sitting down next to them.

"That would be really helpful." Ember said. Deep down, she wondered if Spyro was going to keep his promise that he'd come back and make sure she was all right. It wasn't like him to break a promise, but these were grim circumstances.

Spyro felt the presence of something familiar as they went up each step. He couldn't place what it was, but he sensed something. Whatever it was it gave him an odd sensation. It wasn't physically hurting him, but it felt as if he could sense the pain of whatever was suffering. He was going to speak, but the overwhelming feeling kept him silent. Whatever it was, there were nearing it. Spyro could feel it increasing. _Why am I feeling this? Is it a message from somewhere? What's causing this to happen?_ He thought to himself, as they got even closer. Whatever it was, they were certainly going to find out.


	11. Chapter 11

Elora seemed to know exactly where she was going. Spyro didn't know how, but she went in the same direction that caused him to feel the pain of a suffering being. It was as if they were feeling the same exact thing. Spyro felt everything else slip away. The constant thumping, the noise of the squeaky wheels, Sparx's bright glow, everything just seemed to melt away. He could only feel the sensation growing stronger as they neared it. He couldn't feel what direction they were going, higher, lower, to the left or right, all he knew is that they were getting closer. Meanwhile, Elora was feeling the way to go. With the knowledge of the palace and the feeling she was receiving, she was heading in what she believed to be the right direction. Her eyes were wide open, but she did not see. Her ears had no problem, but she heard not a sound. Her very heart felt warmed as she reached the near top of the long winding staircase where she always had been forbidden to go as a child. At the top was a heavy iron door. It opened as they neared it. As soon as she set foot inside, the three felt a warm sensation. There was not a fireplace or a heater, but it was a warmth that went from their sense to their souls. Underneath the great feeling, Spyro finally felt the full blast of the painful sensation. Whatever was causing it was in here at this very moment.

"Look!" Elora said, regaining control over herself. She pointed to a weak and tired Cynder. Shackles chained her down and her heavy spiked collar had a chain connected to it.

"Cynder!" Spyro yelled, running towards her. A surge of pain swept over him as he neared her. Every breath she took was like a chore. Her eyes remained closed as she coughed every couple of seconds. Spyro shook her lightly, but got no response.

"Hey… it's your gem." Elora said, walking over to a pedestal. It was in plan view, but the reddish-brown stone shone with the intensity of a deadly blaze but the warm heat welcomed them as they came towards it. Elora picked it up, and held it out to Spyro.

"Well well, we're going to need bigger mousetraps to keep rats of your size out." A voice said. Spyro and Elora froze. The Sorceress came from the back of the room with a mischievous grin on her face. "I see you're not a soulless little wretch anymore. I take it the two of you have been busy, _stealing_ things, haven't you?"

"Um, well, technically, it's not really stealing if it was ours, I mean, his to begin with, your majesty." Elora said. She was disgruntled and unsure of what to say. Spyro assumed that Elora must've had a bad experience with disobeying the Sorceress at one point in her life.

"Elora dearie, can I ask you a question?" The Sorceress asked in a sweet kind voice.

"Yes my lad-"

"WHY DO YOU INSIT ON BEING SUCH AN IGNORANT FOOL? You can't see past the small size and kindness that dragons are cold-blooded killers. Sure, he seems like your friend now, but once he gets older you'll be sorry once your children die on the battlefield all because we couldn't destroy them!" she screamed in her face.

"But they don't want to fight just as much as we do…" Elora said, taking the opportunity to speak. "And we don't believe in inflicting harm on someone unless it's necessary so no real conflicts are caused." She said quickly as if she was being timed on how long she is allowed to speak.

"You call this necessary?" The Sorceress asked through gritted teeth. 'I'll show you necessary!" she hit Elora across the face, knocking her to the ground. As soon as she sat, she took yet another hit. This time she bled a little. The Sorceress picked up her staff that she used to break apart Spyro's heart. She raised it high above her head and sung it down to strike Elora. Spyro pushed the Sorceress, sending the swing of course and hitting the wall.

"Run!" Spyro shouted to Elora who had just realized she hadn't been hurt.

"You shall pay for that you little piece of lowly scum. I shall send you straight to hell." The Sorceress said, raising the staff once again.

"Hey Ugly! No one messes with my big purple maniac!" Sparx shouted as he pushed a heavy vase from a shelf above their heads. It was a direct hit, sending the Sorceress into unconsciousness. Elora who had ran over to the door but stopped as soon as Sparx hit the Sorceress walked over cautiously as if danger was still hanging in the air. For a moment, they stood in silence, then remembered Cynder and the gem. Spyro walked over to Cynder and pulled the chain. It didn't move.

"This metal looks pretty weak, but it will take more than some pulling to break it off." Spyro concluded.

"How 'bout melting the chains?" Elora asked, lifting the gem of the pedestal. She staggered as she carried it over, indicating that it must be heavier than the previous gems. She held it close to his heart and it glowed bright red. Spyro felt the warmth cover his entire body, then fade away. Without haste, he hurried over to Cynder and blew fire onto the chains, slowly melting them to the point where they lay in a hardened puddle on the ground. Cynder, feeling the heat slowly woke. Seeing Spyro, she let out a weak smile. Spyro tried nudging her, but she wouldn't move.

"Is… she okay?" Sparx asked quietly.

"She's alive, but she looks pretty sick. She has some scars on her back. I guess she might have gotten beaten a bit." Spyro said, helping the half-conscious Cynder up. Sparx waved his hands in front of Cynder but got no reaction. Usually she'd gently swat him off or lightly flick him away. Sparx seemed deeply concerned and kept silent. The Sorceress twitched. Everyone (except Cynder) jumped in surprise. They all shared glances, indicating that they should get out as soon as possible. Elora opened the door and ushered them back into the cart. Sparx flew in headfirst, but Spyro had to take his time to help Cynder in. Once inside, Elora hurried down the stairs to the servants' quarters. A few other maids turned their heads to see why she was in such a hurry, but went back to their work.

"Made it!" Elora said as soon as they returned to the room. "We better get out of here, sometimes the older maids sit down to talk after lunch."

"Got it." Spyro said, once again helping Cynder. Elora, trying to be helpful, attempted to lift her up. Cynder was heavier than she looked, but Elora managed to carry her. They climbed up the stairs and down the depressing hallway once again. The door wasn't locked from the inside, so all they had to do was open it and exit. It was a wild dash back to the forest, especially since it was cloudy and everyone was too tired and frightened to remember the way. After 20 minutes, they made their escape deep into the dark woods. They had to find another clearing a bit deeper in the forest; it would be idiotic to use the same one that they did the last time, especially since the soldiers knew where it was.

"No more sleeping in the cold" Spyro said, snapping twigs off the trees and piling them up. He blew lightly and they ignited into flame. After a few minutes, it was quite a large, yet controlled, blaze. Spyro pushed Cynder a bit closer so she'd be warmer while they took a rest.

"Finally! Do you have any idea how cold it is out here? I mean, _really_." Sparx said, landing near the fire. Elora smiled and sprawled on the ground. Her grin remained as she drifted off into sleep. Spyro felt dizzy and exhausted. Slowly everything disappeared into a dream…

The sunset was a beautiful shade of red-orange, and he warmth was incredible as it was the first time Spyro ever felt it. The reflection of the sun on the lake was among the most gorgeous things Spyro had ever seen in his entire life. The heat surrounded him with extreme strength, but it was gentle and comforting. Looking up into the scarlet disk, it shone with the intensity of all the burning fire in his heart.


	12. Chapter 12

Spyro awoke to find the fire had died down some, but was still going strong. It was dusk, and would be dark quite soon. Cynder was curled into a ball and looking quite pale. But she had shifted position in her sleep, indicating that she made it through her slumber. Looking at her, he remembered his promise to Ember. She shivered and put his head down in dismay. Even with the ability to get a fire going, he couldn't climb up the mountain. He had to watch after Cynder, who was in no condition to go anywhere but the hospital, Sparx didn't have the physical ability to go with them, and Elora could barely hold still. Still, guilt pierced Spyro right in the chest. He tried to ignore it, but no longer could. The longer he delayed, the better chance of Ember getting injured. By letting down two friends, there was no way he could live with himself. The task just seemed impossible. He could send Elora out to get medical attention for Cynder, but who would treat a dragon in these parts in a time of war? How could Elora get anywhere? By now, news must've spread of her betraying her people and soldiers would be looking all over for her.

"Hey purple-boy. Thinking 'bout Ember?" Sparx asked. He had apparently just woke up and sat next to Spyro. Spyro slowly nodded. Sparx seemed to understand the dilemma. "I wish I could help, but there's nothing a scrawny dragonfly like me can do. Cynder can't even stand up. And you saw the way Elora was carrying her; we're not gonna get anywhere like that…" For a few moments, the two sat in silence. It seemed like an impossible challenge. The five of them were fighting their own side in a full-out war. No matter what strategy you use, you're outsmarted, outnumbered, and out of luck. Elora began to stir, which brought the conversation to an end.

"Sheesh, what time is it?" Elora asked, looking at the sky. She had a good sleep, sitting close to the fire in the warm maid's uniform. She appeared groggy and unable to stand. After a few tries, she simply leaned against a nearby tree.

"I'm guessing it's around six, so we only have a few hours of daylight left." Spyro said, trying to hide his sadness.

"Hmm, I guess we're not going anywhere, huh?" Elora said with a yawn.

"Hey, what's wrong with here, eh? We got a place to hide, warmth, and enough room for a snowball fight. What're you complainin' about?" Sparx asked, shaking the branch above Elora, causing snow to sprinkle down on her head. Elora swatted him away playfully with a giggle.

Suddenly, a loud _crack!_ was heard. Everyone turned to see Bianca with one foot in the air and the other on a twig. She had her wand raised above her head as if she was about to zap them all. She froze and stared at them. Spyro stepped up to protect everyone, but Elora walked right past him and up to her.

"Hi there Bianca, come to see how we're doing?" Elora asked with a smile.

"N-no! I just- you're in trouble Elora! You've gone too far! As soon as I stun you, I'm turning all of you in to the- hey!" Bianca shouted as Sparx flew behind her and took her wand. She reached for it, but he flew out of her grasp.

"Not so high and mighty now, are we?" Spyro asked, approaching her. Bianca backed up in fear. Growing up on the stories of ferocious dragons tearing through flesh an enslaving people must have frightened her. Spyro advanced closer and Bianca backed into a tree. The Sorceress had always told her to never turn her back on an enemy, now matter how bad the situation seems. Not only does it give them an open place to strike, but it also makes you a coward for running.

"S-stay back! I know how to summon spirits. And once I do, they'll kill you!" Bianca said, placing her hands together, leaving a diamond shape in the middle. She began to utter words, but after the first five, she seemed to be making it up and hoping that it would work. A popping noise created a spark that fell to the ground and died.

"_Wow_. That was impressive." Sparx said, placing the wand in the tree above them.

"It didn't work because… the spirits are… waiting for the right moment to strike! And when the moment is right, you're in trouble for ever laying a hand on the people of our town!" Bianca shouted.

"Did I attack _one_ person?" Spyro asked aloud. Elora and Sparx both thought to themselves for a little while but came up with no answer. "Exactly. You guys kidnap _me_, steal _my_ heart, divide it among yourselves, and accuse _me_ of doing something to _you_. You've got no room to talk bunny girl. I think you should go back to where you came from before I get tempted to kick your ass into the next realm." Spyro said, advancing on her once more.

"That's an awfully nice robe she's wearing. It would be a shame if it were to… I dunno, _catch on fire?_" Sparx said with a mischievous grin.

"You can't breathe fire, the Sorceress has your flame! No one has ever defeated her in battle!" Bianca screeched, losing some of her fear.

"Yeah, that's because there weren't any vases to drop on her disgusting slimy head." Sparx said.

"No one can be defeated that easily!" Bianca said, stepping forward.

"Well then, the almighty Sorceress is a no one." Spyro snapped back, stepping forward to her, which caused her to step back. Elora merely smiled. The image of power that caused her to tremble in fear had been defeated easily. Spyro looked at her and smiled back. _Childish she may be, but she's my friend, and no one pushes my friends around._ Spyro thought to himself.

"Yeah, well… you guys are screwed! You can't run forever, and as soon as I get out of here, all the forces around the realms are going to be after you!" Bianca snapped, trying to threaten them.

"Really, I thought you spirits were going to come after us." Spyro said. Elora tried to hide her giggles from Bianca. Unfortunately, she saw.

"_You!_ You of all people. Associating yourself with disgusting cold-blooded killers. It's like keeping a wild beast for a pet, sooner or later, its instincts will kick in and you'll have to face the wrath of a full-grown monster." Bianca said, giving Elora the death-stare. "Mark my words, one of these days, you'll regret ever going against the will of your people. You had a chance at being a great figure in society, you had everything, and you betray us, what goes around comes around- AHH!" she screamed as Spyro blew a flaming ember down the back of her dress.

"More where that came from!" Spyro shouted out as she turned to flee.

"She forgot her magic stick" Sparx said, lifting it up and carrying it over to Elora. "Maybe you should keep an eye on it, eh?" Sparx said with a wink. Elora nodded. Spyro once again looked up and saw the outline of the towering mountain just above the trees. He sighed as he turned back to Cynder, who lay unmoving, each breath like a stab in the chest. _Less than a week left…_ Spyro thought to himself. _In less than a week, the snow will be easier to navigate through, Ember will be hunted down, brought back, to be jailed, or killed on the spot._ He felt the cold chill of guilt run through his soul once more, he needed to do something, but there wasn't much he could do.


	13. Chapter 13

Ember and Hunter sat on opposite sides of the cave, staring each other down. Bentley had left to check the snow levels towards the bottom of the mountain, having now way of telling how long it had been, for he had been busy with guests, he had to go out and check. The sun was barely breaking through the clouds, (as far they could tell) and the two had been eager to get out for their own reasons. Hunter had been storing his tool in the back of the cave, the shovel he bought and used to dig himself out of a few tight situations. Unfortunately, it was on the verge of breaking due to it being nearly frozen, then brought into the heat of the cave. A large crack had formed on it, thus rendering it useless. Maybe he could sell the metal to some desperate troops on the other side of the Realms, but other than that, it was dead weight. His pointed broomstick was used as kindling because he had found a "better" stick brought in by Bentley one day. He sharpened it against the cave wall and made it into an impressive spear-like form. But of course, it was nothing more than a mere stick. Ember looked out and left her gaze away from Hunter, (which was a pretty daring move, considering the fact that he was out to get her), she longed to see her purple friend dash through the entrance of the cave and whisk her away back to their home. Home. She shuddered at the thought of what their home would look like. A barren, hellish plain of ash and burnt-down buildings. The charred remains of possessions and memories, all gone and the scent of death hanging in the air. If she did get the opportunity to go home, she'd rather travel around and find somewhere else to stay.

Bartholomew had left due to boredom, he promised he'd be back before Bentley, being as young as he was, he'd much rather be out playing than babysitting to older teens who are trying to bite each other's heads off. It'd be another half hour before Bentley would be close, so all the duo could do is wait. So once again, Ember turned back to Hunter, who had apparently gotten up and was trying to find some use for his cracked shovel, and stared angrily at him just as she had done many times before.

The older General stared up the icy path. It had been two days of marching his men up the mountain, and they were drawing nearer, he could feel it. Man hunting was his one talent in the world, and he certainly knew how to. Judging how creatures live and the way this mountain formed, they wouldn't be too close to the top, they'd freeze to death. But if they were closer to the base, they would've left the area when it got too cold. So somewhere around the middle-ish top. That was the safest bet. And so far, tracks had been stopped. Too big to be Hunter's, far too small to be a juvenile dragon's. So they had to belong to some other form of life. If there was one thing Hunter got himself into, it was trouble. And if anything did live here, Hunter would be all over it. And so would the fugitive dragon. There was always a motive behind Hunter's actions. They weren't always the best, mainly created upon spur of the moment, but you had to admire his heart. Giving up everything he had in this world to be save the lives of others. He showed up at the doorstep of the recruitment office as a young child, only eight or so, and when he was shot down, he returned at least twice a week, asking if he was big enough. Eventually when he came of age in a desperate time of soldiers, he was accepted and ready for battle.

The General smiled lightly. _Such a young fool_, he thought_. It takes skill to be a hero. Skill to be a warrior, skill to be somebody. It isn't something that can be passed down through training, either you're born to do it, or you're not_. It was almost like a slap in the face the late afternoon Hunter showed up with his new recruits, dressed in rags, fists balled up and ready for action, eager to spring out and attack someone. Of course, that's why he had to go and break down his spirit. Every day, he'd wake him up at exactly 4 in the morning. If he slept any later, a fierce whipping'd awaken him. He had to jog at least a mile before he was permitted to eat breakfast and if he collapsed during the jog, he'd have to do twelve push-ups and go back to the jog. But no matter how many times he failed, now matter how many times he'd been scolded, the child never gave up. Eventually, harsh treatment seeps into one's mind and slowly drives them mad. Which is exactly what happened to Hunter. No longer does he jump up and volunteer whenever needed, no longer does he try and outshine the toughest of soldiers, and no longer does he slap on a smile each day. Instead, the young child's determination lie stranded, like a small boat stranded at sea during a storm. No chance of escape, only pain and suffering with little chance of the sweet relief of death.

"Sir, we've found a cave. It appears to be inhabited, shall we proceed and move on in?" a soldier asked, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"Yes, let's proceed." he replied. _Well Hunter, let's see your spirit and determination get you out of this mess._


	14. Chapter 14

Hunter's ear twitched. He heard something. Something familiar, but he hadn't heard it in a little while. Whatever it was, he couldn't place his finger on it. It was a sort of pounding. Only it was much louder than one person or animal. Maybe Bentley was back? No. Too loud, even for his enormous feet. His ear twitched again, and he sat up and moved his head in the direction of the sound, carefully, as if making the slightest noise would seal his fate. Ember gave him a blank stare. She now seemed to be the last thing on his mind. He stood up and walked slowly to the cave entrance. It was if there were invisible strings on him like those of a puppet. Now, lifelessly, he stared blankly outside. Ember made not a noise, for she feared the consequences. Hunter began to ponder deeply. _What is that noise?_ He asked himself. _I know this! It's like forgetting your own name! I've definitely heard this before._ Suddenly it hit him. The pattern of soldiers' footsteps, marching. They weren't just after Ember; they were after him as well. Running away was a serious offense. Even if it was to go after someone, it had to be authorized first. The only way he'd be able to get out of this one without problem would be if he had brought Ember back with him before they had found where they were. There were always stories of valiant heroes who went out of their way and disobeyed orders to save the day. But there weren't any stores of those who didn't succeed their plans. Hunter gulped. Well, up until _now_ there weren't.

"Is… everything okay?" Ember asked just below a whisper. Hunter turned to her. The soon to be dead dragon. He's had to calm some civilians before when there was a blackout due to a counterattack, but never to someone who's probably going to be executed on the spot. Despite the fact that she got on his nerves, he really didn't know how to break it to her.

"Umm… Well…" He began. The footsteps were at least a minute away. He'd have to tell her. "N-no. You're going to have to- err… You're…" he let out a sigh. This was the hardest part of being part of the army; the harm done to people in order to save others. The thing he wanted the most was for her to be put under arrest and for her to be one more person to be mentioned in the history books. But still, he couldn't just stand by while another life is taken. He got up and picked up his new pointed stick from against the wall and sat back down. For a few seconds, he was silent. Ember seemed greatly puzzled, and then she heard it as well. The marching of footsteps, only it was far closer. She couldn't believe she missed the sound over the crackle of the flames. One soldier stood in the entrance of the cave. He held his sword out to them and pointed it, giving them a chance to surrender. Hunter sighed and handed his weapon over. Ember just stood there, frozen with fear.

"I'd expect more of you, Hunter. You would've been a great warrior one day." The soldier said. Ember got up and slowly walked over to meet her fate. But suddenly, an idea came to her mind. It wasn't really the typical plan one would have, but it would work all the same. As fast as she could, she charged right into the soldier's stomach, taking his breath away for a few seconds.

"RUN!" Ember screamed, running out of the cave and down the gentle slope. Several alarmed soldiers took out their swords, which were tucked in between their arm and side. Hunter, being the kind of person who thought on his feet, ran as fast as he could. The partly thawed ice made it very hard to run, even with their claws that easily gripped to the ground. Hunter looked over his shoulders to see the troops after them, but a quite far away. He let out a smile. If there was one thing he was better at than all of them, it was running. He soon caught up and passed Ember, who was beginning to slow down due to exhaustion. Hunter felt a bit of generosity and stopped in front of her. He made a motion for her to jump atop his back, and she did. It didn't slow him down much; being crouched down actually made him run a bit faster. After a few short minutes, he slowed down into a steady walk. There was no way they could be running that fast carrying all their weapons and shields. Hunter decided to take a break. He set Ember down and sat on a nearby rock. With a puzzled expression, she asked him. "Why?"

"Same reason you did it for me." Hunter said as he caught his breath. "Truce?" Ember smiled.

"Truce." She reached out and shook his hand. Ember smiled. _Wannabe warrior or not, he's an okay person._ She thought.

"Whaddya say we get down this mountain?" Hunter asked.

"Of course." She said with a smile. On the inside, she felt betrayal. Spyro promised he'd come save her. Even if Hunter is now removing the burden off Spyro's shoulders, a promise is a promise. The duo turned to the now visible mountain path, which had a layer of slush and ice on it. As they continued down and the sun began to set, Ember worried if she'd ever be able to trust Spyro on something as important as her life again.


	15. Chapter 15

Ember walked with Hunter down the mountain until they reached the main trail. Most of the snow had melted, leaving them a clear way through. They were silent, occasionally cautioning the other when they would slip on some leftover ice, but not much. Ember was absorbed in her own thoughts, and Hunter was amazed at his newfound bravery, defying the law and breaking the rules. Soon, they had gotten pretty close to the bottom.

"So. Where are you guys _actually_ headed?" Hunter asked Ember out of curiosity. They had to have _some_ motive in mind.

"W-we're not really sure," she confessed. "I mean, we'd naturally go home, but it's probably destroyed right now. I guess we're just avoiding death."

"Hmm. Not a very good strategy. You can't just let the world lead you somewhere. You gotta take control and get in its dirty little face, show it who's the boss! When it pushes you, push it back. You need a _plan_. You'll just get captured if you keep running." He explained.

"Well, if we had time to think of a plan, we would. We haven't been together in weeks. This is just too chaotic for me. I wish I was home right now, in my bed, peacefully sleeping." Ember said. She hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a long time and needed some time to rest. She often got edgy and irritated when she lost sleep, and that is exactly how she behaved towards Hunter,

"Well, then maybe you guys should've… given us freedom?"

"For the last freakin' time: I. HAD. NOTHING. TO. DO. WITH. ANY. OF. THIS. BULL. SHIT." She said, adding emphasis by separating each word. "If I could stop a whole war by myself, _WOULDN'T I_? You can't keep listening to your superiors for everything. They lie to keep you in line. They lie to make you listen. They lie to pretty much brainwash you. The military has been this way since the first war ever existed. And it will continue to happen. Just break free of everyone's grasp and listen to what _you_ think! Sheesh!" she screamed. After that, they didn't talk very much. Ember stomped alongside him until they reached the trees at the base of the mountain. And there at the bottom, awaited lines and lines of soldiers. They had planned an escape. They _always_ plan in the event of something like this. And Hunter had forgot. Now they really _were_ doomed. Hunter and Ember froze as the first line slowly approached and began to surround them.

"So, what do you think the wannabe witch is doing right now? Telling on us?" Sparx said with a laugh.

"Heh. Y-yeah. I guess so." Spyro replied, still looking in the direction of the mountain. It was all he could fix his mind on. Disloyalty, Lies, Disappointment. He branded himself with all the shameful names he could think of. He got cocky for a moment because he had some of his gems back. But of course, the confidence must've come from his true identity as Spyro the dragon. But not being a whole dragon, he didn't have all the courage and strength, personality and traits he used to have united as a whole. Like pieces of the big picture. Alone, you can't really tell what it is or what's happening, but together, it's all united as one. He felt like a fragment. A little tiny piece of something that chipped off the original. He put his head down in the lightly melted snow and sighed. Elora glanced over at him, and he let out a weak smile as to assure her not to worry.

"Sp-SPYRO! I was right… she _WAS_ telling on us…" Sparx said nervously as guards approached them. Spyro, ready to let loose with some fire, crouched down as a sign of warning, if any of them made an attempt to come closer to him, they'd pay the price. One of them pulled a tight metal collar over his head from behind. He turned around quickly to spit fire into the soul of who dared to attack him. To his shock, he found that several guards had Elora in a tight grasp with a blade dangerously close to her neck. Having turned around, it gave the remaining guards a perfect opportunity to place Sparx in a small cage. As Sparx let out a small, frantic cry, Spyro once again whirled around, only to have a rope lasso tightly around his neck, cutting off large amounts of air. Soon, at least twelve guards were all over, pushing his head to the ground, and desperately trying to muzzle him to prevent him from spitting fire everywhere. He put up quite a large fight and singed those who weren't paying close enough attention. Put the number of them kept increasing and he had to surrender after growing tired. As they were marched, Spyro felt guilt growing in the pit of his stomach for Ember. Acting before thinking never was a good idea, even if one was sure of oneself, he was quite familiar with that concept, but his mind was all out of sorts. Three beat-up wagons with reinforced steel bars were nearby, and the chances of escape looked pretty slim with them all being separated with no means of communication. Spyro let out of faint sigh (or what a sigh would sound like if you had a muzzle over your face) and was ushered aboard one of them. He heard struggling coming from outside and quite a large amount of yelling. Sparx was busy cussing out the guards, as he did anyone who was an authority figure, Elora was putting up a small fight, but still cooperating tot the extent where she would not be punished severely, and other voices were heard. Suddenly, Hunter was thrust next to Spyro and the door shut. Hit hands were tied tightly behind his back and his sharpened stick was long gone. Spyro let out a snicker (which hurt his face because the ropes were quite tight, but he decided it was worth it). Hunter weakly tried to stand on his knees, but only succeeded in falling forward in front of Spyro, who was still giving him the largest grin possible.

"What's so funny muzzle-mouth?" Hunter snapped as he once again made an attempt to rise. Spyro tried to answer, but only succeeded in making a faint _Mmmmm_ noise. "That's what I thought." Hunter said, finally accepting the fact that he wasn't going to get up and rolling onto his back. "Look," he said, lowering his harsh tone "Neither of us is going to get out of here without each other's help. And your one friend is really sick, it looks like the curs'd sickness. There's an old apothecary that lives deep in the swamp. If there's anyone who can help, it's him. C'mon, trust me, I helped you pink friend back there; she would've froze to death if it weren't for me. You'll be put to death for war crimes in the most brutal manner possible, and I'll be hung for treason. You couldn't stand by while someone who tried to help you just _dies_ can you!?" Hunter asked, his eyes demanding assistance. Spyro let his thoughts roll over. On one hand, he certainly _could_ just stand by while someone who tried to help just dies; he really didn't have a choice. On the other hand, who says he's telling the truth? And then comes in the factor that he needs to help his other friends escape to safety. Noticing Spyro's perplexed look, the color drained from Hunter's face. "Please! I know you're not totally heartless!"

That did it. _Was_ Spyro heartless? He _did_ only have just a small piece of his soul back. Did he really care at all? Was he really that selfish and uncaring? Did Hunter not matter at all to him? Was he just some scrawny wannabe hero that was probably going to die a sad and ironic death? Looking up to Hunter, he nodded an moved closer to begin to formulate a plan…


	16. Chapter 16

Hunter leaned in and spoke to Spyro in a soft voice, carefully stopping when a shadow of a soldier fell over them. They'd all be taken to one of four possible prisons to be put on trial. These trials, however would be biased beyond all reasoning due to the fact that they are all for the opposing side in the war.

"We might be taken to the dungeon of the castle to be held, we'll probably die if we're put in there; Over in Avalar, we _might_ get _some_ mercy, there's a slim chance that they won't kill us, the residents are kinder over there. If we're sent to Sgt. Byrd, however, we're totally screwed and our fates are left in god's hands. There are several fortresses set up in the desert, and we might be placed to rot in one of those for all eternity, Gnasty Gnorc isn't too fond of letting people go, or giving them the death penalty, he likes for them to suffer endlessly. And last but not least, the dungeon of the Palace of Avalar. Then we'll have to deal with a lot of pissed of fauns wanting us to die a horrible, bloody death for the suffering they've been put through. Trust me, here on the other side of Realm is fine, but over in Avalar and the bordering dragon villages are a war zone like you wouldn't believe!" Hunter explained to Spyro in a raised whisper. Spyro let out a few noises as if to ask a question, but Hunter understood. "No way they'll split us apart, they'll need you all to speak in the defenses of each other to make it look like a _fair_ trial, but really, it's not. We have little hope if we don't escape." Quietly, he leaned in closer. "If we're really careful, I might be able to get that muzzle off your face so you can get your friend into the swamp where there's no way they'll be able to catch us. It's pretty near impossible to track anyone, it's so wet and dark you can't see to well, and all tracks are hard to find because the ground is covered in at least 2 inches of water." He paused as he turned around to see Bianca conversing with a guard outside of the wagon. After at least 7 minutes of talking, they walked away and left Spyro and Hunter alone. Hunter waited for a few minutes to make sure they were gone and leaned in once again to explain to Spyro. "So anyway, if you can undo these ropes around my wrists, I PROMISE to you that I will undo that muzzle so we can distract the guards with the fact that we're untied and make a quick rush to the other two wagons to let out your friends, okay? This isn't exactly well thought out, but it's the only hope we have at the moment. Okay?" Hunter asked, with a pleading look in his eyes. Spyro blinked, but then noticed that the guards made no effort at all to tie up his claws, he was free to use them in any manner necessary. With a few swipes, Hunter was soon free to use his hands. Spyro was about to free his legs, but Hunter ignored that fact and quickly began working on undoing the knot. Hunter had some claws, but they were nowhere near as strong as Spyro's, and they broke easily, and soon, the rope was wet with blood, which made it even more difficult to untie. Footsteps were heard and Hunter quickly got back on the floor of that wagon with his hands behind his back. The soldier who was going to be escorting them gave them a quick glance, seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary, and went on ahead to tell the others that they were all clear to get going. This was Hunter's signal to hurry before the wagons were spread too far away for them to make a run to them. Desperately, he began to chew on the rope with his teeth, which wasn't working at first, but after about a minute or two, Spyro heard a _snap!_ of one of the ropes. The muzzle then loosened and fell to the floor of the wagon. Hunter, exhausted, and in pain collapsed for a short break.

"Okay, now what? Should I ignite some wood or rattle the iron bars?" he asked frantically as he heard a whip crack and one of the wagons started to go in motion.

"Doesn't matter, just do it!" Hunter said, spitting out his own blood that was on the ropes and now in his mouth. Spyro leaped onto the bars and began to shake them and spit flame in random directions. A soldier who was standing nearby had his sleeve catch fire, and began to scream while running around in circles. This drew the attention of several other soldiers and guards as they all made an effort to help him while two of them tried to make Spyro stop it. The soldier to the right of the wagon foolishly opened the bars to see if he could restrain Spyro. Quickly, Hunter jumped up and kicked him in the stomach, while Spyro dashed over to the second wagon, making an attempt to unlock it. It was difficult to unlock the heavy mechanism with claws, but as soon as it slid out of place, Ember and Sparx (who was still caged) were now free. Elora let out a loud cry for help as protective guards were surrounding the remaining wagon. Hunter jumped up behind the largest of the guards, whom was probably their leader, for he wore a different uniform covered in badges of all sorts. The other frantically tried to pull the scrawny cheetah off, but he was quick and could fight back, despite having the majority of his claws torn off. Hunter tackled their leader to the ground and beat him about the face. Blood was everywhere, it was hard to tell who's blood was whose as others fought to tie him down. Mortified, Spyro just stared. It was to watch as flesh was torn and the weakest being trampled upon. Suddenly, Spyro remembered his objective. He made his way though the turmoil and undid the lock. He didn't have to worry about not being seen, Hunter was doing an awfully good job of taking care of that. Elora jumped down with Cynder on her back. Even though Cynder was considered "small" for a dragon, Elora was having an awfully difficult time carrying her. Spyro lead them away from the chaos, drawing little attention. Those who saw them were too frightened to do anything about it. And those who tried were given an angered glance by Spyro. He waited until his friends were a good distance inside the woods (especially Elora and Cynder), and then made an attempt to go back for Hunter. When he turned back to behind the wagon. There were a few more people than when he left. They had successfully pinned Hunter to the ground, but were having difficulty retraining him. He kicked and cursed at them as they held him down. Spyro simply walked up behind them and spit out as much flame as possible. That did it. Everyone was in a panic as Hunter jumped up and ran into the woods. Spyro followed, but has difficulty keeping up with his speed.

"Told 'ya I wouldn't leave you." Hunter said, between pants as he ran.

"I knew you wouldn't." Spyro shouted back. To tell the truth, Spyro expected Hunter to run off and leave him to fend for himself. _I guess there are some people here than you CAN trust._ He thought, running faster. It took about a half-hour, but they finally caught up to the others. Spyro collapsed on the ground, which he found surprisingly moist.

"Yuck! It's slimy and muddy!" he said, rapidly brushing off the ooze. The source was under a bunch of leaves that littered the ground. There was a large amount of fungus and moss around upon further inspection.

"This, my friend, would be the entrance to the swamp." Hunter said, making a large gesture. _Friend…_ Spyro thought. "Before you enter the swamp, there are more leaves on the ground, more low-lying areas, larger, taller trees, and best of all, disgusting swamp muck!" he said with a smile, picking some up and tossing it in Ember and Elora's directions. Ember squealed and jumped away, while Elora merely dodged. She'd have thrown some back if she weren't worried about Cynder.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, seeming a little irritated.

"Clam down, I thought you were the fun one!" Sparx said, buzzing around her head. "We'll make it there, soon, Hunter knows the way, right?"

"Ye-NO. I haven't been here by myself. I've gone down twice. When I was a young child. First time was with some soldiers who caught a nasty case of swamp fever and needed medicine; I had to come along because I was sick, too. But I was dazed and couldn't even tell what was going on. The second time was for some training I had to do. Took me almost 2 months to get out with the help of 4 others. "

"Then how will we find the damn guy?" Elora asked, raising her voice. She seemed to be worried about Cynder a lot more than she loved to be silly.

"Don't worry, he lives near the center, a few miles outside of where he lives, the trees get thinner, and there's less water and more moss." Hunter said, making an attempt to calm her down.

"Alright. I assume that it will take… 2 weeks to get there if we only stop to rest at night?" Elora asked.

"About, maybe longer if we get lost." Hunter replied.

"T-two weeks! How long does this "curs'd sickness" crap take to kill someone?" Sparx asked nervously.

"About two weeks." Hunter said quietly. The seriousness of Cynder's sickness sunk into everyone. They had to get moving now. Cynder already had it for a little while, but Spyro lost track of how long that was. So, they might even have to go some nights without sleeping, eating, or stopping to save Cynder.

"Let's go", Elora said, her feet pushing through the frozen leaves and semi-frozen swamp ooze "If we don't go now, we may already be too late".


	17. Chapter 17

Night fell quickly, or as far as everyone could tell, the trees already reached a point of blocking out all light. Elora and Hunter had been taking turns carrying Cynder, who had no idea what was even going on. Soon, it became so dark, that they had to stop. After all, tripping over roots to land in puddles of unknown liquids wasn't the best feeling in the world.

"We can stop here for tonight." Hunter said, collapsing under a tree. It didn't take long for Spyro to gather some twigs and ignite them into a campfire. Because they were moist, a large amount wasn't needed, so the worry of them extinguishing during the night wasn't a worry.

"Alright, she feels a bit warm, but she's shivering a lot, should I put her close to the fire, or further back?" Elora asked, her had over Cynder's forehead.

"Dumb questions, keep her away from the heat, it's the last thing she needs." Ember snorted.

"Well, I was considered about the ill person's feelings." Elora snapped back.

"Well, you were never had medical experience, especially with dragons. I bet you've never even done any work-"

"SHUT UP AND SLEEP." Spyro snapped. He certainly wasn't in the mood for any more chaos. It had been a long day. Traveling nonstop into a dark swamp, wading through shallow puddles of who knows what, and having to listen to Sparx's constant asking of "are we there yet?" For the time being, Spyro just wanted to sleep and get ready for the next day, which would consist of more walking, more complaining, and more revolting slime. After Elora and Ember whispered to each other a few more times on what to do, Spyro shot them an angry glace. Both immediately stopped talking and set Cynder down midway between the flame and a large tree. Satisfied, Spyro closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

A few hours later, it was still pitch black, the fire had somehow died down to a few glowing embers that were surrounding the charred remains of the branches. Spyro had awoken to some strange itching sensation. It was probably just the plants nearby, and he thought nothing more of it. About ten minutes later, the sensation started again. This time, Spyro brushed it off, only to feel it come right back. He opened his eyes and couldn't see much of anything. Standing up, he set fire to nearby branch. Standing before him was the biggest, hairiest spider he had ever seen. It was almost his size, and had apparently been looking for some food. Spyro said not a word, as he was frozen in terror. The light from the newly lit fire soon awoke Hunter, rubbing his eyes, looked over to see the cause of his interrupted sleep. Seeing the giant spider, he gasped for air, and couldn't say anything. Soon, he found his voice, and screamed the loudest he ever had in his whole life. This caused a mad scramble and panic. Elora jumped up and kicked at dirt and moss, Sparx flew up away from the chaos, and Ember spit small bursts of flame in random directions. After a few minutes of panic, Hunter located a large log and crushed the spider. Leaving it's large legs twitching and various fluids from inside of it splattered across everyone's faces.

"It's not safe at night, it's not safe during the day… WHAT IS WITH THIS CREEPY-ASS PLACE?" Sparx shouted.

"We must be near a nest, they hunt in groups of 20 or so…" Hunter mumbled.

"Ew! This is sick! Let's leave. Even though it's night, it's better than being attacked by more spiders." Ember said, still a bit traumatized.

"I guess we could skip a good night's sleep tonight…" Elora said with a yawn. Carrying Cynder around all day was an exhausting job. Hunter couldn't help very often, as he was busy leading them through the swamp, or making sure nobody was sick. "I'm hungry. Can we eat?" she asked, brushing off what looked like the spider's intestines.

"You're hungry after tha- actually, so am I…" Hunter said, rubbing his stomach. "I guess we could eat mushrooms, I mean, they're _everywhere_… But, I forget how to tell the difference between poison ones."

"I never knew how to in the first place. I always ate normal food. I never had to stay around in the woods like a pig." Ember snapped. She recovered from her horror and went back to being angry.

"I guess since no one can tell the difference, we just have to starve until we find other food." Spyro admitted. He hated breaking bad news to people, but he had nothing else to say. "_Cynder_ was pretty good at identifying poisons, but she's not of much use right now." He said, looking over to her motionless body. "And being a dark dragon, poison doesn't sicken her anyway. If she needs to eat, she can eat mushrooms, or whatever. But we just need to survive until we get the medicine."

"Can we go now? I don't want to run into anymore disgusting bugs, or whatever." Ember made a gesture towards some long, slender trees that lead deeper into the swamp." Sparx flew forward and Spyro lit a torch for Hunter. Elora picked up Cynder and got ready to leave. It was eerie, only having two light sources in a large area where no one could tell where they were. For a moment, it felt as if they were walking in nothing. They felt no brush of branches. No sloshing noises from the wet ground. Empty space. No one made a sound, and no one could hear anything. It was as if the world around them stopped. Suddenly, Hunter disappeared from vision as a loud _crack!_ was heard. Ember soon fell in after, and Elora followed. Their screams were heard, followed by a loud _thud! _

"Hey! What happened?" Spyro shouted downwards in the direction of what was probably a big hole.

"I think we found the spider burrow." Was the only reply. Spyro and Sparx exchanged horrified glances as louder screams were heard from underground.

"We gotta go in! C'mon Spyro!" Sparx shouted.

"W-what? No! Are you crazy? I can't. I'll get slaughtered!" Spyro replied, backing up in fear.

"Now isn't the time to be a damn coward, Spyro! Either you go in and help, or they're helping themselves." Sparx said through gritted teeth. It was uncharacteristic of Spyro to back down when someone needed help, especially since he was always there to look out for everyone.

"But, I just… can't-"

"Screw it, I'll help them myself!" Sparx shouted, diving into the hole, and illuminating the whole area beneath. It was much easier for Hunter and Ember to beat off giant spiders when they could see. Spyro's torch went out when Hunter fell down, so he was blind as a bat. Elora gave a few of them strong kicks on their backs. This caused them to back off a bit. At least 15 were attacking at once, which made it difficult to fight back.

"Hey, look out, there's more coming in!" Elora shrieked. Dozens more flooded the small space, crowding them all together. There was no way to escape.


End file.
